This Land is located in East-Africa.
| ORIGIN: | Colonized by Ethiopia |
| AREA: | 369000 SQ. KM. |
| BOUNDARIES: | North West: Djibouti North East to East: Somalia South: Kenya West: Ethiopia Note: from 1887 to 1947 the Ogadenian boundaries were constantly redetermined by foreign forces. |
| POPULATION: | Estimated between 5 to 6 million. Unfortunately, there has been no precise census taken by the Ethiopian Government, United Nations or any other International Organizations. |
The Ogaden Region was annexed by Ethiopia with the help of Britain on September 24, 1948. The annexation process went on until its completion in 1954. Far back 1896 Britain made protection agreement with chiefs of the Ogaden people against any invasion by Ethiopia or others. This agreement wasn The present Ethiopian Government is continuing, as usual to dominate it by use of armed force and treat no different from its predecessors the past Ethiopian despotic Government. In fact, the present Ethiopian government is using unrestrained violence, worse than them all. In May 1991 Mengistu Haile was overthrown by many forces including ONLF (Ogaden National Liberation Front). However the Ethiopian Peoples revolutionary Democratic front (EPRDF) entered Addis Ababa.
In June 1991 the Nations Conference was held where Ogaden people demanded self determination. At this meeting, a transitional period charter was drafted and agreed to. It came into effect on March 24, 1992. On 28 January 1992, a press conference was held in Addis Ababa where a Referendum on self-determination had been called by the Ogadenians. However, Meles Zanawi. the Prime Minister of the Ethiopia Government rejected the call.
In the last six years (1992-1997), there have been constant violation of human rights, such as killing, wounding, torture, rape detention of any person who openly supports or exercises his/her rights to self-determination. Since EPRDF Came to power, disappearances have become common in Ogadenia.
OGADENIAN LIFESTYLE.
NOMADIC: Ogadenian Nomads live in hot, semi-desert regions herding camels, goats and sheep. They migrate seasonally in search of water and grazing land.
FARMING: Maize and sorghum are grown in farming regions along the Shebelli and Juba rivers and in the highlands. Farming is mostly rainfeild and farmers also keep, goats, sheep, chickens and donkeys and camels for transport.
URBAN: There are several towns in the Ogaden ranging from a few hundred people to 30,000. Towns are chiefly marketed towns trading animals, food crops and house-hold items
FOOD: The staple diet of Ogadenians is goat and camel milk and meat. Bread and porridge are made from maize and sorghum. HOUSING: The dwelling of the Ogaden nomad is called an AQAL which means a removable hut. AQAL is built of a framework of 7 long, soft and green branches bent into arch shapes, tied together with ropes forming the typical dome, It is supported by a long, central forked pole. The walls and roof are then covered with mats made of woven grass. The work of building the AQAL is carried out by women. They are water proof and usually last 10 years. When the family moves to new gazing areas, the home is dismantled and loaded on to a camel with the arches pointing upwards forming a safe vehicle to transport children, small animals, the sick and the elderly.
Source: Ogaden Fact sheet.