DATE=2/11/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245405
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (O-A-U) IS WORKING
TOWARD A CEASEFIRE IN THE WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA.
V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS FROM ETHIOPIA'S CAPITAL, ADDIS
ABABA.
TEXT: O-A-U SECRETARY GENERAL SALIM AHMED SALIM HAS BEEN ON THE
PHONE WITH LEADERS OF BOTH NATIONS SINCE THIS LATEST ROUND OF
FIGHTING BEGAN SATURDAY.
THE O-A-U WANTS ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI AND ETHIOPIAN
PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI TO STOP THE FIGHTING, PULL BACK THEIR
TROOPS, LET AID AGENCIES INTO THE BATTLEFIELD, AND AGREE ON A
PLAN TO MEDIATE THEIR BORDER DISPUTE.
O-A-U SPOKESMAN IBRAHIM DAGASH SAYS THERE IS NO TALKING ABOUT
PEACE WHILE PEOPLE ARE DYING AT THE FRONT.
/// DAGASH ACT ///
OUR PRIORITY IN THE O-A-U IS TO STOP THIS FIGHTING, TO
HAVE A CEASEFIRE, SO AS TO GIVE WAY FOR THE PEACE
PROCESS TO MOVE BECAUSE IN THIS PEACE PROCESS, WE CAN DO
NOTHING AS LONG AS THERE IS FIGHTING.
/// END ACT ///
THE WAR BEGAN LAST MAY WHEN ERITREAN TROOPS CAPTURED LAND THAT
WAS PREVIOUSLY UNDER ETHIOPIA'S CONTROL. SINCE THEN, THE O-A-U
HAS COME UP WITH A PLAN TO ARBITRATE CONTESTED TERRITORY ALONG
THE 800-KILOMETER BORDER.
/// OPT /// ERITREA WANTS INTERNATIONAL MONITORS IN THE
DISPUTED AREAS BEFORE WITHDRAWING ITS FORCES. ETHIOPIA WANTS
THOSE TROOPS OUT AND LOCAL ETHIOPIAN AUTHORITY RESTORED BEFORE
ANY FORMAL PEACE TALKS. /// END OPT ///
WHILE ETHIOPIA HAS AGREED TO THE PEACE PLAN, ERITREA HAS YET TO
MAKE A DECISION, ASKING THE O-A-U FOR CLARIFICATION ON SEVERAL
POINTS ABOUT THE BORDER. NOW THAT THE O-A-U HAS ANSWERED THOSE
QUESTIONS, SPOKESMAN DAGASH SAYS IT IS UP TO ERITREA TO MAKE THE
NEXT MOVE.
/// SECOND DAGASH ACT ///
ERITREA HAS ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR INITIATIVES, OUR
PROPOSALS. THEY RAISED 29 QUESTIONS. WE GAVE THE
RESPONSE. WE ARE WAITING FOR THEIR REACTION. THIS IS
WHY THE DELAY. THE BALL IS IN THE COURT OF ERITREA,
ACTUALLY.
/// END ACT ///
IF ERITREA CONTINUES TO DELAY THE PEACE PROCESS, ETHIOPIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM MESFIN SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT WILL BE FORCED
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM MILITARILY. HE SAYS ERITREA'S DELAY IS A
PLOY BY AGGRESSORS TO TRY AND KEEP LAND THEY HAVE TAKEN BY FORCE.
/// SEYOUM ACT ///
ERITREA HAS SO FAR REFUSED TO RESPECT THE VOICE OF
AFRICA BECAUSE IT HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY IS UNLIKELY TO BRING EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL
PRESSURE TO BEAR ON ASMARA. STAY PUT, PREVARICATE, AND
CAUSE THE DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION, AND THEN BOTH
THE AGGRESSOR AND THE AGGRESSED WILL PROBABLY BE PUT ON
THE SAME LEVEL. THIS IS WHAT ERITREA HAS BEEN COUNTING
ON, A VICTORY FOR THE AGGRESSOR IN A SITUATION WHERE
INTERNATIONAL LAW IS MADE A MOCKERY OF.
/// END ACT ///
/// OPT /// FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM SAYS HE IS MOST CONCERNED
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PUTTING ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA ON
THE SAME LEVEL. BEFORE THIS LATEST ROUND OF FIGHTING, ETHIOPIA
ENJOYED ITS ROLE AS THE VICTIM IN THE CONFLICT.
/// OPT /// NOW, UNITED NATIONS MOVES TOWARD AN ARMS EMBARGO
APPLY TO BOTH COUNTRIES EQUALLY. U-S CALLS FOR A RETURN TO A
MORATORIUM ON AIR STRIKES SINGLED OUT ETHIOPIA, WITH PRESIDENT
CLINTON URGING THE GOVERNMENT HERE TO REFRAIN FROM FURTHER USE OF
AIR SUPPORT ALONG THE NORTHERN BORDER.
/// OPT /// FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM SAYS IT IS ERITREA THAT
BROKE THE MORATORIUM, NOT ETHIOPIA. AS FOR THE U-N ARMS
EMBARGO, ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN SELOME TADESSE SAYS THE
IDEA SHOWS A FUNDAMENTAL MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHO IS TO BLAME
FOR STARTING THE WAR.
/// OPT /// ETHIOPIA IS QUICKLY LOSING MUCH OF ITS
INTERNATIONAL GOOD-WILL AMIDST ALLEGATIONS OF ETHIOPIAN JETS
BOMBING CIVILIAN TARGETS ACROSS THE BORDER. THE GOVERNMENT IS
PREVENTING FOREIGN AID WORKERS, FOREIGN DIPLOMATS, AND FOREIGN
JOURNALISTS FROM VISITING THE FRONT, ELIMINATING ANY INDEPENDENT
ASSESSMENT OF THEIR BATTLEFIELD CLAIMS. /// END OPT ///
O-A-U SPOKESMAN DAGASH SAYS THE LONGER THE CONFLICT GOES, THE
MORE IT THREATENS EVERYONE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA, ALREADY REELING
FROM CLAN VIOLENCE IN SOMALIA AND CIVIL WAR IN SUDAN.
/// OPT // THIRD DAGASH ACT ///
WE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY AND
THE STABILITY OF THE WHOLE REGION, AND THIS WAR IS
ACTUALLY DAMAGING ALL OUR EFFORTS, ALL THAT WE BUILT
UNTIL NOW TO HAVE STABILITY AND SECURITY IN THE HORN OF
AFRICA. IT HAS CONSEQUENCES, NEGATIVE, ON THE WHOLE
REGION.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
IN THE SHORT-TERM, WESTERN DIPLOMATS ARE NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A
CEASEFIRE, AS BOTH ARMIES HAVE SPENT THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS
REINFORCING THE BORDER, AND THEY NOW WANT TO SEE IF THEY CAN
SHIFT THE BALANCE OF POWER ON THE BATTLEFIELD BEFORE GIVING
MEDIATION ANOTHER TRY. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/JWH
11-Feb-99 10:00 AM EST (1500 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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