Ogaden Online: The official homepage of Ogaden on the Internet

On Saturday Dec 3rd, 2011, hundreds of members of Ogaden Community staged a  well organized protests in front of a venue where a delegation led by Ethiopian Ambassador in Washington and others said to be visiting from Ethiopia was holding a meeting. The meeting was billed as a ‘meeting of the minds’ to discuss investment opportunities inside Ethiopia. This is not the first time Ethiopian regime used such  propaganda.

Hours before the meeting was to start, Ogaden community members who have succeeded in obtaining a legal permit to protest in and around the meeting venue, have gathered. However, after few minutes of standing in front of the Hyatt Hotel, a Hotel Manager approached Ogaden Community leaders and informed that, Hyatt Hotel decided not to associate itself with the Ethiopian delegation that have terrible human rights record. The hotel received complain letter from Ogaden Community detailing Ethiopia's genocide policy against Ogaden People. This is good news both Ogaden Community and Hyatt hotel, specially Hyatt Hotel. These would have an effect on its business repetition and image thereafter.

After Hyatt Hotel refused to allow Ethiopian delegation to host the meeting, the meeting venue has been changed to Renaissance Hotel at 3rd Ave and Washing to St in Minneapolis.

The protesters with microphones and sound amplifiers reached Renaissance hotel and its surroundings. While the protesters numbered in the hundreds – some estimates put the numbers in thousands.

The Ogaden Online undercover reporter was present inside the meeting venue and he said the meeting attendees were, in the best of his estimate, to number no more than 25 individuals, including some well known Somali spooks in Minneapolis. We have videos and pictures of the meeting and we will share our readers very soon.

Many attendees sit idle during the meeting due to lack of understanding the language of the meeting which was an Amharic. After much confusion, finally some decided to write a not to the Woyane delegates and requested either use English or have someone to translate his Somali audience.

Ogaden Community protesters were carrying Ogaden flags. Many of the protesters were carrying placards denouncing the Ethiopian regime. Some even hard banners accusing the Ethiopian regime of having perpetrated genocide in Ogaden. Some of the protesters stood the major intersections despite cold and snowing day in Minneapolis, They distributed fliers some of which were titled “Highlighting the Hidden Genocide in Ogaden”.

With temperatures dropping and snow falling, regardless of cold weather, protesters were prepared to deal such a punishing weather. "I welcome the challenge of this cold weather," said Asad Mohamed, a Music store owner  who has been attending every protest against Ethiopian regime in Minneapolis. "This is like war, and I don't mind being a voice of the voiceless"

The Ogaden people are fighting for self-determination. Extra-judicial killings, rape, disappearances, destruction of livelihood and the displacement of thousands of Ogaden people are the daily norm in Ogaden.

There is constant fighting between Ethiopian troops and ONLF forces in the Ogaden region. Human rights organizations accuse the Ethiopian soldiers of violating the human rights by harassing the people in the Ogaden region.