The Ethiopian police force has announced the seizure of 3.7 tons of chemicals from a rebel group, which they said was being accumulated to produce explosives.
Ethiopian Television (ETV), which showed Friday evening films of the chemicals said that they were seized in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia, which they said was under preparation for explosives by the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which is active in the eastern part of Ethiopia, bordering Somalia.
According to the police, the chemicals and other materials kept by the ONLF were seized in Daforqalat rural locality of Shelabo Woreda, Korahe Zone of the Somali region.
“Some 7000 bullets of various types were also seized along with the chemicals enabling the enabling the rebels to produce 1850 explosives. The chemicals and bullets were unearthed following a tip-off from Abdi Mohammed Awhasen, who was engaged in coordinating terrorist acts of the ONLF in the last ten years,” said the police.
The ONLF Military Affairs Coordinator in Warder and Korahe Zones, Abdi Mohammed Awhasen gave himself up to the government on October 3 2009, according Ethiopian police.
ONLF, which claims to struggle for the “self determination” for the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, which known for its high concentration of ethnic Somalis.
Ethiopia launched an offensive against the ONLF after the group claimed responsibility for the killing 64 Ethiopians and nine Chinese oil workers in the area a year ago.
Source African Press Agency
