Ethiopian Police Arrest Suspects of Recent Explosion, Accuse Eritrea of Complicity

The Ethiopian police on Saturday arrested several suspects in connection with Tuesday’s mini-bus explosion in Addis Ababa in which six people died and accused Eritrea of complicity in the explosion.

The police also said that the explosion was perpetrated by the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which Ethiopia says is backed by the Eritrean government.

Tuesday’s mini-bus explosion occurred near the Ethiopian ministry of Foreign Affairs in which six people, including an Israeli-born America scientist,while another eight people were injured.

The ONLF, which claims to fight for autonomy for the Ogaden region bordering Somali, have been involved in various military operations against the Ethiopian government.

The Ogaden region is largely inhabited by Somalis. In April 2007, the ONLF killed 65 Ethiopians and nine Chinese oil workers in the area.

Since that time, Ethiopia has launched a crack dawn on this rebel group, which mainly operates in the eastern part of Ethiopia, bordering Somalia.

The Ethiopian police however refrain from revealing the names and number of suspects arrested so far.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia also on Saturday accused Eritrea for arming the ONLF to undertake such “terrorist acts” in Ethiopia to destabilize the country’s peace and development.

However, Eritrea has repeatedly denied such accusations.

Source African Press Agency

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