ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AFP)--Ethiopia on Wednesday criticized Human Rights Watch for accusing its troops of executing, torturing and raping civilians in a crackdown against rebels in the southern Ogaden region.
A foreign ministry report said the New York-based watchdog's June abuse claims were "crammed with fabrication and misrepresentation, exaggeration and misinterpretation."
The report, continued: "HRW, perhaps unwittingly, had allowed itself to be used as a propaganda tool to the ONLF (Ogaden National Liberation Front)."
The report, "Human Rights Watch: Flawed Methodology, Unsubstantiated Allegations", was compiled after investigations in Ogaden in August and September.
The ministry said it had found "no trace of serious human rights violation, let alone war crimes during the security measures taken against the ONLF."
Ethiopia's military launched an offensive against ONLF rebels after they attacked a Chinese-run oil venture in the Ogaden in April 2007, killing 77 people, including nine Chinese nationals.
The army has since forcibly displaced entire villages, destroyed houses and executed at least 150 civilians as well as arbitrarily detained hundreds in military bases, HRW said.
But Addis Ababa accused the organization of relying on "hearsay."
"All this could have been avoided if the HRW had made serious efforts to understand the realities of the situation ... than rely on claims by ONLF supporters outside the region."
The government probe had however found "one or two cases of abuse" and "one of torture", the report added. The soldier responsible had been dealt with at a court martial.
Formed in 1984, the ONLF is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia's oil-rich Ogaden region. They say the local people have been marginalized by Addis Ababa.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 26, 2008 12:18 ET (17:18 GMT)

Publié le 26 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones