PETRONAS warned over Ogaden, illegally ruled by the Abyssinian Neo-Nazi Dictator Zenawi

Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis January 5, 2008

In an overwhelming Open Letter – alarming warning, the Ogaden Communities in Europe demand the immediate termination of every activity related to Oil exploration in Ogaden that would be carried out by the Malaysian company PETRONAS under terms of deal closed with the illegal regime of the Tigray tribal dictator Meles Zenawi. The demand involves immediate evacuation of all the PETRONAS staff from the Western Somali province that has been illegally offered by the departing in 1954 British colonials to the murderous, cannibalistic pseudo-king of Abyssinia Haile Selassie.

Without an immediate UN Security Council decision and the subsequent deployment of UN – AU forces, Ogaden risks living another nightmarish escalation of hostilities between the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Amhara and Tigray tribal thugs and gangsters sent by tyrant Zenawi in guise of ’national army’ to perpetrate genocidal acts of the utmost barbarism against the people of Ogaden.

We are strongly convinced that PETRONAS top management should take the serene advice of the Ogaden Communities in Europe very seriously; any further presence of the Malaysian company in Ogaden only risks producing an unnecessary hecatomb for which the only responsible will be PETRONAS as already properly and publicly warned.

In addition, the Malaysian company should consider better ways to market its global stance and activities than just closing deals with greatly loathed, bloodthirsty dictators and an unrepresentative regime that does not reflect more than the racist ideas and attitudes of the analphabetic Amhara and Tigray Monophysitic mob (which totals merely 17% of the entire population of that country).

We publish here the integral text of the Open Letter to the President of PETRONAS, as it consists in a key document pertaining to the current situation in Ogaden. We join the Voice of the Ogaden Communities in Europe, demanding PETRONAS to immediately evacuate its staff from Ogaden and cancel any deal signed with the criminal cannibal Zenawi. Tan Sri Dato Sri Mohd. Hassan Marican President & Chief Executive Officer Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) Tower1 PETRONAS Twin Towers Kuala Lumpur City Centre 50088 Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia January 1st 2008

Mr President, The Somali people in the Ogaden didn’t choose to be a part of the empire-state of Ethiopia, but Ethiopia annexed their land without their consent in collusion with European colonial powers. The last portion of the Ogaden was handed over to Ethiopia in 1954 by the British Government. Since then the Ogaden people are fighting for their basic human rights including their inalienable right to self-determination. In order to quench national resistance in the Ogaden successive Ethiopian imperial, military and civilian regimes including the current regime of Dictator Meles Zenawi has committed unspeakable atrocities against civilian population. Without the knowledge and consent of the Somali people in the Ogaden, the Ethiopian government signed agreements and gave concessions to foreign oil companies to explore oil, natural gas and other minerals in the Ogaden. As a result of the illegal and shady deals between the Ethiopian government and overseas companies such as Petronas; the Ethiopian government forces evicted a large number of nomads from their ancestral grazing lands. Around the exploration sites the poor vegetation, which is essential for the nomads and their livestock was burned or removed. Petronas financial assistance to the Ethiopian Government aggravates an already precarious humanitarian situation and contributes the deterioration of human rights situation in the Ogaden. The Ethiopian armed forces are killing civilians, gang- raping women, torching villages and hamlets, starving out the civilian population and displacing them to satisfy your company. Since April 2007, when ONLF fighters attacked an oil exploration field run by a Chinese company, the Ethiopian government forces stepped up its human rights violations in the Ogaden by committing terrifying atrocities against the civilian population.

In an attempt to restrict people’s movements, terrorize the civilian population and stop trade movements, the Ethiopian government has blocked up all commercial roads leading to the Ogaden. And confiscated lorries carrying food supplies in order to starve out the civilian population. It also depopulated and razed entirely to the ground many villages and hamlets. Until the protracted struggle for self-determination in the Ogaden is resolved and lasting peace is negotiated, the Ogaden Communities in Europe call for the immediate cessation of all oil and other mineral exploration activities in the Ogaden, and urge Petronas to evacuate all its staffs from the Ogaden for their safety and well being and stop dealing with the current Ethiopian government, which violates the basic human rights of the Somali people in the Ogaden. Mr President,

The United Nations fact-finding mission, which visited the Ogaden between 30 August and 5 September of last year, received reports of serious violations of human rights abuses, and recommended an independent United Nations fact-finding mission to be sent to the Ogaden. We the Ogaden communities in diaspora request you kindly to: 1. Stop oil exploration in the Ogaden and financial assistance to the current Ethiopian government. 2. Immediately withdraw of your staff and equipment from Ogaden. We are hopeful that our request will get your full attention and consideration. Thank you very much in advance. Yours sincerely,

Ogaden Communities in Europe Address: Case Postale 2064, 2000 Neuchâtel/Switzerland Email: communauteogaden@net2000.ch

Copy sent to: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Malaysian Prime Minister Prime Minister’s Office Blok Utama, Bangunan Perdana Putra Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia