Blowing Ogaden

Mulugeta Alemu

5 Septembre 2007

Doctors without Borders is perhaps the loudest and the latest entrants of those few who are deliberately politicizing developments in the Somali National Regional State in Ethiopia. Following the massacre committed by Eritrean armed and supported ONLF, the Ethiopian Government had announced that it would take a tough corrective measure, which it did. The Government has recently invited UN partners and others to see for themselves the situation in the region. This was imperative given the fact that some had deliberately wanted to politicize the issue and invent a humanitarian disaster.

UN agencies based in Ethiopia accepted the invitation and are now conducting an assessment mission. This mission is of purely humanitarian nature. The inter-agency task force has neither the mandate nor the intention to investigate the baseless allegations thrown by ONLF and its promoters. The press statement issued on 30 August 2007 from the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator was very clear. Fidele  Sarassoro, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator stated "It is my hope that the findings of this assessment mission will construct clearer picture of the humanitarian situation in the Region. Equally important to us is that the findings of this mission also support the delivery of assistance to the people of Somali Region."

The ONLF was smart enough to announce truce while the UN inter-agency is present in the region. This has two reasons. Firstly, it wanted to create the impression that what ever state of affairs the mission is going to see happened because the ONLF agreed not to fire. It was quite obvious even to ONLF spokespersons abroad that the UN group will not find what they have been alleging.  Secondly ONLF wanted many to believe that it is what one of its promoter, the New York Times youthful journalist Jeffrey Gettleman dubbed it in the news paper September 3, 2007 edition, a powerful rebel group.

The Ethiopian Government invited all concerned to visit all areas of the Somali national regional state. Now some UN agencies in Ethiopia decided to go in a group and see for themselves. Why is that an NGO, which is not denied access to the area, making such huge noise with all its egregious claims? The reasons are two fold. Firstly Medicins sans Frontieres, unlike ICRC, has always believed that public criticism of governments is essential for the fulfillment of its agenda. But as numerous studies of the group’s work have found out, it has often exaggerated its claims and selectively targeted the subject of its attack. The Second reason is perhaps the most serious. The NGO wanted to use its credibility and noise to influence the outcome of the UN assessment. Should any one worry about it? No one thinks so.