UN to visit Ethiopia trouble spot
BBC - November 27, 2007

The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, is set to visit the troubled Somali region - the Ogaden - in south-east Ethiopia. Large parts of Somali region were off-limits to all outside humanitarian agencies for several months this year.

Meanwhile the Ethiopian army conducted counter-insurgency operations against rebels operating in the area.

The UN managed to negotiate access to the area. Mr Holmes will be meeting UN staff and local government officials.

Painstaking process

The situation in central Somali region - known as the Ogaden - has been extremely difficult for most of this year.

Residents have been caught between actions by Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels and army reprisals ...