Oromo Liberation Front - OLF in Somalia

OLF in Somalia

Before and during the Somalia Civil war of 2006, OLF was suspected of working with Al-Ittihad, the dominant force behind the ICU. According to BBC reports dating as far back as 1999, OLF and Al-Ittihad were receiving assistance from Eritrea as well as helping Eritrea during the Ethiopia-Eritrea 1998-2002 war. In April 1998, OLF held a congress in Mogadishu electing more militant leadership. Eritrea also supported the Oromo fighters with a ship load of arms and additional 1,500 Oromo fighters being shipped from Eritrea to the south Somalia OLF training center of Qorioli. In July 1999, OLF was stationed at the South Shabelle region and armed by Eritrea in order to fight Ethiopia during the border war. While Eritrea was attacking Ethiopia in the north, OLF managed to attack Ethiopia from the south West region.

However the Ethiopians, allied with the Somalia government temporarly stationed in Baidoa and the Puntland regional troops, attacked ICU and OLF fighters in Southern Somalia. After the Ethiopians and Somali government defeated those fighters in Somalia, Kenyan officials also arrested OLF fighters who tried to cross into Kenya border. In addition, the Somalia government captured the OLF fighters who were supporting the Islamists and their backing Al-Qaeda operatives. OLF fighters who were arrested in Somalia admitted their involvement with the radical Islamists and admitted of being trained in Eritrea. They were noted being part of the 270 Oromo militants of OLF trained in Mogadishu with the Islamists before they were captured. Leaders of the Somali state, while talking about OLF's alliance with Al-Ithad and Al-Qaeda, stated that OLF's destabilizing influence in the horn of Africa should be addressed. Around seven OLF fighters surrendered to Kenyan authorities early in January 2007, in Garissa District. OLF captives also confirmed being deployed in Somalia from Eritrea. Some of the captured fighters stated that they lived in Yemen before joining the Front in Eritrea agitated by a propaganda campaign by OLF radio.