Ethnic Somali rebels kill 74 at Chinese oilfield in Ethiopia*

Anita Powell in Addis Ababa
Tuesday April 24, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Rebels stormed a Chinese-run oilfield in eastern Ethiopia today, killing
74 workers and destroying the facility, guerrillas and government
officials said.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front, an ethnic Somali group that has
fought alongside insurgents in Somalia, also kidnapped seven Chinese
workers, said an Ethiopian government official, Bereket Simon. "This was
a cold blooded killing," Mr Bereket, a special adviser to the Ethiopian
prime minister, Meles Zenawi, told Associated Press. "This was organised."

The rebel group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement
sent to AP. It also warned all international oil companies not to
operate in the region.

China's official Xinhua News Agency identified the Chinese workers and
Ethiopian guards as employees of the Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration
Bureau, a division of a huge state-run oil company.

Xu Shuang, the general manager of Zhongyuan, based in Addis Ababa, said
nine of its Chinese oil workers were killed, seven Chinese workers were
kidnapped and 65 Ethiopians were killed.

The attack took place early this morning in Abole, a small town 75 miles
from the Somali regional state's capital Jijiga, close to the Somali
border. Mr Bereket said several Ethiopian soldiers were wounded in the
gunbattle. "The army is pursuing them. We will track them down dead or
alive. We will make sure these people will be hunted and be brought to
justice."

He said the group was also linked to the Eritrean government, which
Ethiopia has repeatedly accused of waging terror attacks. Eritrea denies
the claims.

The countries fought a border war that ended in 2000 and are accused of
backing rival sides in the Somali conflict.

China has increased its presence in Africa in recent years in the hunt
for oil to fuel its rapidly growing economy. But forays into politically
unstable areas have exposed Chinese workers to attacks.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front warned last year that it would not
tolerate investment in the Ogaden area that also benefited the Ethiopian
government. AP