Topic summary
2007–2008 Ethiopian crackdown in Ogaden
Meles Zenawi
950 killed (ONLF claim)
<1,000 killed
The 2007–2008 Ethiopian crackdown in Ogaden was a military campaign by the Ethiopian Army against the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). The crackdown against the guerrillas began after they killed over 60 Ethiopian troops and several foreign workers during a raid on a Chinese-run oil exploration field in April 2007.
The main military operations were centered on the towns of Degehabur, Kebri Dahar, Werder and Shilavo in Ogaden, which are in the EthiopianSomali Region. The area is home to the Ogaden clan, seen as the bedrock of support of the ONLF.
During the crackdown, the Ethiopian government put hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation by blockading food aid to the region. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), various human rights abuses were committed by the Ethiopian military.