Ogaden, Ethiopia – The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has strongly condemned the ongoing Ogaden Gas Project, describing it as a direct violation of Somali rights and a betrayal of the peace commitments signed with the Ethiopian government.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ONLF accused the Ethiopian authorities and foreign companies involved in the project of exploiting the natural resources of the Somali Region without consulting the local population. The group warned that the project threatens to destroy pastoral livelihoods, displace communities, and deepen economic marginalization in one of Ethiopia’s most resource-rich but historically neglected areas.
The Ogaden Gas Project, located in the Somali Regional State, aims to develop extensive natural gas reserves for export through pipelines and processing facilities. However, the ONLF said the initiative has been pursued in disregard of environmental concerns and the well-being of indigenous Somali communities who depend on the land for survival.
The organization further claimed that the project violates key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, which ended decades of conflict between the ONLF and the Ethiopian government. That accord was meant to guarantee greater local participation in governance and resource management.
“Instead of empowering the people of Ogaden, this project enriches a few while dispossessing the many,” the statement read.
The ONLF called on international partners and human rights organizations to pressure Ethiopia to halt the project and engage in genuine dialogue with local representatives. It warned that ignoring the grievances of the Somali Region could reignite tensions and undermine the fragile peace achieved in recent years. The Ethiopian government has yet to issue a formal response to the ONLF’s statement.
