NAIROBI (Reuters) – Ethiopian rebels denied on Tuesday government allegations that Qatar was supporting them, after Addis Ababa Woyanne cut diplomatic ties with the Gulf State and accused it of backing terrorism and destabilising the region.
Ethiopia Woyanne, a U.S. ally and the biggest military power in the Horn of Africa, said on Monday it had earlier expressed concern in private about Qatar’s “hostile behaviour” several times.
It said Qatar was backing its arch-foe Eritrea, as well as helping Islamist insurgents in Somalia and Ethiopian freedom fighters like the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
But the ONLF said that the charges were designed only to divert attention from what it called an “unfolding African genocide” by government forces in its remote eastern region.
“Qatar has played a constructive role in Africa , the Arab world in general and the Horn of Africa in particular,” the rebel group said in a statement.
“If there has been a destabilising factor in the Horn of Africa, it has been the regime currently in power in Ethiopia.”
The statement from Addis Ababa on Monday said Qatar’s hostile behaviour “included the output of its media outlets”, a presumed reference to the Al Jazeera Arab satellite TV network.
Al Jazeera has in recent days been broadcasting reports on the conflict in the Ogaden region that have been critical of the military’s role against local rebels.
Qatar, a member of the OPEC group of major oil producers and the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is also an important American ally and hosts a large U.S. military base.
On Monday, a Qatari government official in Doha dismissed the Ethiopian Woyanne accusations as “frivolous and irresponsible” and said the emirate had always done its utmost to fight terrorism.
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ER expresses heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the government of Qatar for standing with the oppressed people of Ethiopia.
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Ethiopia Woyanne announced Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing the Gulf Arab state of supporting armed opposition groups across the Horn of Africa region.
It cited Qatar’s “strong ties” with Ethiopia’s Woyanne’s arch-foe Eritrea, and alleged Qatari support to armed opposition groups within Ethiopia as well as to Islamist insurgents in Somalia, where Addis Ababa Woyanne sent troops in 2006 to prop up a weak government.
“The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Woyanne has decided to break diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar,” said a government statement received by AFP.
“Ethiopia has displayed considerable patience towards Qatar’s attempts to destabilise our sub-region and, in particular, its hostile behaviour towards Ethiopia,” the statement said.
“Qatar has now, however, become a major source of instability in the Horn of Africa and more widely,” it added.
“All those who are prepared to foment instability in Ethiopia and undermine the country’s security have been given support and encouragement by Qatar.”
It went on: “This has gone beyond Qatar’s strong ties with Eritrea. It has indeed provided direct and indirect assistance to terrorist organisations in Somalia and other areas.”
“Whether in Somalia and in other parts of the Horn of Africa — including within Ethiopia — Qatar has been one of the most important supporters of terrorism and extremism in our sub-region.”
The statement also accused Qatar of using its “media outlets” to undermine Ethiopia.
On April 11, the Ethiopian Woyanne foreign ministry had already sharply criticised the Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera for airing a series of TV reports on Ethiopia’s restive Ogaden region.
The Ethiopian Woyanne authorities have imposed a news blackout on the vast area populated by Somali-ethnic Muslims and slapped touch restrictions on humanitarian work.
The foreign ministry had been particularly upset by a report on the activities of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
“Al-Jazeera is using inaccurate and misleading information, fabricated by opposition elements backed by a state which makes no secret of its efforts to destabilise not only Ethiopia but also the entire sub region,” it had said.
“It is hard to ignore the fact that Al-Jazeera broadcasts out of Doha, the capital of Qatar. Qatar is a close ally of Eritrea. It would be totally unrealistic to imagine that any Al-Jazeera program on Ethiopia could be anything other than seriously biased.”
5 thoughts on “Woyanne cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar”
weyane beseferebete guna gena yiseferal. qatar was one of the main TPLF’s spounsor before when tplf was an ordinary rebel against ethiopia’s cenetral governmenet. by the way .does TPLF know what does it mean diplomacy?
Woyanne are infuriated by the latest Al Jezeera broadcasts of the genocide in Ogaden that was conveniently ignored by the so called independent western media. They were spoiled by their masters who let them have a free hand in creating havoc all over the horn region. Now a popular TV station exposed Woyanne’s genocide in Oganden and how does Woyanne react by throwing a temper tantrum and severing diplomatic ties with Quatar. Of course the Ethiopian diaspora will pay the price because they will have a hard time travelling back to their country and supporting their families. As for Quatar they come out of this drama looking good and also in the long run they make friends with the majority of Ethiopians who will never forget the betrayal of western powers and their media outlets.
LOST IN A DREAM
Observing the Woyane regimes Expansionst dreams and it’s chronic infiriority complex, I always remember a story I read when I was a little boy.
Once upon a time there was a wise and rich woman. She lived in a castle with her 10 servants. Madame was a light hearted master. Of those 10 servants was a little girl whose family was very poor. The poor girl was so poor that madame gave her a dozen eggs so that her and her family wouldn’t starve. But she had plans of her own. She wanted to sell the eggs then use the money to buy another dozen eggs and she would repeat that process until she got rich. During the same time she was day dreaming about how rich she would become on her way to the market. While she was walking she was carrying the eggs on her head. She was dreaming that she was going to live a bigger castle than her master. She would not only have 10 servants but thousands. She would buy her master’s businesses and make her go bankrupt so that her master would become one of her sevants. Everytime she would get home from work, the servants would all line up in 2 lines and at the same time they would say welcome home madame and they would hail and bow to the new master. By this time she forgot that the eggs were on her head and she was deap into her day dream. So while she was practising on her bowing all the eggs plopped to the ground. POOR WOYANE
Oh really! how could beggers could be choosers or they have a permanent provider of all of their needs: the US. My fellow brothers and sisters these weyanes are one of the dumbiest mother nature provided to this planet earth. I wonder if Dr. Frazer or the US ambassador to Ethiopia Yamakutkut is aware of such move by their slave in Addis. People of these thuggish leadership has to survive one day at a time they must created havoc and controvercy by any means; including the killing, back stabbing, deceiving, stilling, and above all a– kissings of who ever that it may be!
A joke of the day. Diplomatic ties?????????????
Weyanne is upset by recent Aljazra’s News and came up
with this stupid reaction. Who is next????????? CNN, BBC, New York times?????
No body buys Weyannes accustion against Quatar except the FAT LADY @ White house (J.F) and she do not have a say about Middle East affairs. No black mailing to Quatar.
Weyanne is clubing with one hand and became a laughing stock. The Terriorst Card will not work this time .
J.F lost credibility big time! I do not think she will support Weyanne.