ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Ethiopian rebels on Monday warned a Canadian oil company against oil exploration in the country’s east and said the area is unsafe because of fighting.

Africa Oil Corp. (TSXV:AOI) should halt all operations until the rebels make peace with the government, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, or ONLF said. The group is blamed for the 2007 attack on a Chinese-run oil field in the region in which scores were killed.

The rebels said in a statement that the company, which has its head office in Vancouver, is “conspiring with the government to exploit the region’s oil.” Continue…