DATE=2/10/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245368
TITLE=ETHIOPIA/ERITREA FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS CALLING ON ETHIOPIA TO STOP USING
AIR POWER IN ITS WAR WITH ERITREA. AS VOA'S SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS
FROM ETHIOPIA'S CAPITAL ADDIS ABABA, THE GOVERNMENT THERE SAYS IT
IS NOT TARGETING ERITREAN CIVILIANS.
TEXT: ETHIOPIA IS CLEARLY STUNG BY ALLEGATIONS THAT ITS JETS
BOMBED A CAMP FOR DISPLACED CIVILIANS MORE THAN 30 KILOMETERS
INSIDE ERITREA.
ETHIOPIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM MESFIN STOPPED SHORT OF
APOLOGIZING FOR THE ATTACK, SAYING ONLY THAT IF IT HAPPENED, IT
WAS NOT A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO KILL CIVILIANS.
/// SEYOUM ACT ///
IF IT HAS HAPPENED, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IT WAS
REGRETTABLE AND IT WAS A RESULT OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE. WE
HAVE A CLEAR POLICY THAT WE WOULD NEVER, EVER MAKE
CIVILIAN TARGETS VICTIMS OF WAR. //OPT// WE WILL NEVER,
EVER MAKE CIVILIANS AND CIVILIAN INSTITUTIONS TARGETS OR
OUR MILITARY OBJECTIVES AND OPERATIONS. //END OPT//
/// END ACT ///
FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM SAYS IT IS ERITREA WHICH BROKE A U-S
MORATORIUM ON AIR STRIKES, NOT ETHIOPIA. HE SAYS ERITREAN JETS
LAST WEEK VIOLATED THAT AGREEMENT BY TRYING TO BOMB A FUEL DEPOT
OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF ADIGRAT.
THAT ATTACK HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMED, WHILE ETHIOPIA
FREELY ADMITS IT IS USING AIR SUPPORT ON THE NORTHERN BORDER. IN
THE U-S CALL FOR BOTH SIDES TO RENEW THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE
MORATORIUM, PRESIDENT CLINTON SINGLES-OUT ETHIOPIA, URGING THE
GOVERNMENT TO REFRAIN FROM THE FURTHER USE OF AIR POWER.
//OPT// FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM SAYS HE IS NOT CONCERNED BY THE
LANGUAGE OF THE WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT, SAYING THE TRUTH OF WHO
STARTED THE LATEST FIGHTING WILL COME OUT IN THE END.
/// SECOND SEYOUM ACT ///
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S CALL ON ETHIOPIA NOT TO CONTINUE
USING AIR POWER, I BELIEVE, COMES FROM ETHIOPIA'S OWN
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE ARE USING AIR POWER TO DEFEND OUR
SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY.
/// END ACT ///
MR. SEYOUM WANTS MORE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE PUT ON ERITREAN
PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI TO JOIN AN ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN
UNITY PLAN TO END THE BORDER WAR. //END OPT//
BOTH COUNTRIES CLAIM LAND ALONG THEIR ROCKY 800-KILOMETER BORDER.
LAST MAY, ERITREAN TROOPS CAPTURED AREAS PREVIOUSLY ADMINISTERED
BY ETHIOPIA.
ERITREA WANTS INTERNATIONAL MONITORS IN THE DISPUTED AREAS BEFORE
WITHDRAWING ITS TROOPS. ETHIOPIA WANTS THOSE FORCES OUT AND LOCAL
ETHIOPIAN ADMINISTRATION RESTORED BEFORE ANY TALKS ON THE BORDER.
MR. SEYOUM SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN MORE THAN PATIENT WITH
INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS. IF ERITREA CONTINUES TO DELAY THE O-A-U
PLAN, HE SAYS ETHIOPIA WILL BE FORCED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
MILITARILY.
/// THIRD SEYOUM ACT ///
OUR UNLIMITED READINESS TO COOPERATE WITH THIRD PARTIES
WHO HAVE WORKED FOR PEACE, OUR PATIENCE IN THE FACE OF
AGGRESSION, AND OUR FLEXIBILITY SHOULD NOT BE MISTAKEN
FOR BEING PRONE TO BEING PUSHED-AROUND.
///END ACT ///
ETHIOPIA SAYS IT HAS REGAINED GROUND IN THE LAST FIVE DAYS OF
FIGHTING, RETAKING THE VILLAGES OF KONIN AND KONITO ALONG WITH A
KEY MILITARY POST ON THE RIDGE ABOVE THE ERITREAN-HELD TOWN OF
BADAME.
//.REST OPT/// ETHIOPIA SAYS ERITREAN FORCES ARE BATTLING TO
RECAPTURE THOSE POSITIONS. MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY SO FAR, THERE
HAS BEEN LITTLE SUBSTANTIVE GAIN FOR EITHER SIDE. MOST OF THE
FIGHTING HAS BEEN WITH INFANTRY AND ARTILLERY, WITH BOTH ARMIES
APPARENTLY HOLDING BACK THEIR BIGGEST TANK BATTALIONS AND MOST OF
THEIR AIRCRAFT. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/PCF
10-Feb-99 1:56 PM EST (1856 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
