There has been an ongoing dispute over the Ogaden region in eastern Ethiopia for decades. The Ogaden region is located in the regional state of Somalia in Ethiopia, bordering Somalia. Several battles between the Somali people in that region and the Ethiopian army have left the Ogaden area devastated by war. Current conflicts between the Ethiopian army and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) have forced Ethiopia to send more troops to the area. As tensions in the region escalate, both sides continue to employ tactics that international communities consider war crimes. The conflict between the two organizations is affecting the efforts the United States is trying to conduct in Ethiopia and the ongoing humanitarian effort in Somalia. I will provide some examples of ongoing issues and try to determine whether there is a peaceful solution to conflicts. According to Seid (2009), until the 1970s the conflict between Ethiopians and Somalis in the Ogaden region was mainly based on religion. The Ethiopian army has a more Christian view while the Somalis have a more Islamic view. However, from the 1970s to the present, the Ogaden population's desire for nationalism has played a major role in the conflict, even though religion is still intertwined in the conflict. Somalis from the Ogaden region and Ethiopians both have an “us versus them” mentality. Somalis do not recognize the power of Ethiopians over the Ethiopian view of Somalis as foreigners in their country. The most notorious clash between these two groups occurred in 2007, when the Ethiopians claimed that the ONLF had massacred 74 individuals, including 69 Ethiopians and 5 Chinese in the Ogaden region (Ababa 2007). Ethiopia...... in the center of the sheet......Works citedAbaba, A. (2007, 27 April). Ethiopia - The terrorist group ONLF massacred 74 people in Ogaden, Ethiopia. Retrieved from http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2007/04/24/onlf-massacred-74-in-ogadenCollective punishment. (2008, June). Retrieved from http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0608-1.pdfONLF. (2009, June 3). Oil exploration in the Ogaden. Ogaden online. Retrieved from http://www.ogaden.com/hornnews/ogaden/273-onlf-press-release-oil-exploration-in-the-ogaden.htmlSeid, M. (2009, January 26). The role of religion in the Ogaden conflict. Retrieved from http://hornofafrica.ssrc.org/mealin/index3.htmlU.S. Department of State. (2011, November 10). Ethiopia. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2859.htm[Web log message]. (2011, July 13). Retrieved from http://aipr.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/genprev-in-the-news-13-july-2011