UN seeks Ethiopia abuses inquiry

The UN has called for an independent investigation into reports of human rights abuses in Ethiopia's predominantly Somali Ogaden region.

A visiting UN group says they found a pervasive fear among residents caught in clashes between the army and rebels.

The Ethiopian army has been accused by ONLF separatists of operating a food blockade and causing a man-made famine.

Responding to the report, Ethiopia said it would work with the UN to ensure the region's food requirements were met.

However, it did not comment on allegations of abuses.

Click here to see a map of the area

The report by the mission, who visited the area last month, also calls on the government to give aid agencies access to the region.

It says the food situation is deteriorating rapidly and could reach emergency levels very shortly and that there is an acute shortage of drugs and other medical supplies in the area.

The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa says that the fact that the mission decided not to make the report public but to share the findings privately with the government suggests that publication would have caused considerable embarrassment and prejudice the chance of getting matters improved