DATE=3/15/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246629
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING UPDATE (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THERE IS MORE FIGHTING REPORTED IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
(MONDAY), AS ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA CONTINUE TO BATTLE ACROSS THEIR
BORDER. EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS ERITREA
SAYS IT IS WINNING.
TEXT: GROUND TROOPS ARE IN ACTION ON THE TSORONA FRONT BETWEEN
THE ERITREAN-CONTROLLED TOWN OF ALITENA AND THE ETHIOPIAN TOWN OF
ZALAMBESA.
ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA SUFFERED HUGE CASUALTIES IN FIGHTING SUNDAY
AS WAVES OF GROUND TROOPS TRIED TO BREAK THROUGH ERITREAN
POSITIONS. IT IS DRY, ROCKY TERRAIN WITH LITTLE COVER. GAINING
GROUND FOR EITHER SIDE IS COSTLY, THEY MUST ATTACK HEAVY MACHINE
GUNS AND UNDERGROUND BUNKERS DUG INTO THE ROCK.
ERITREA SAYS IT ALSO SHOT DOWN AN ETHIOPIAN MIG-23 FIGHTER JET
SUNDAY. A FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT SAYS 19 ETHIOPIAN TANKS
WERE DESTROYED AND TWO TANKS CAPTURED DURING ETHIOPIA'S
LARGE-SCALE OFFENSIVE.
ETHIOPIA SAYS THERE IS NO BIG OFFENSIVE, AND SHELLING AND
SKIRMISHES ACROSS THE BORDER SUNDAY SLOWLY DEVELOPED INTO
FULL-SCALE FIGHTING THAT IS CONTINUING. ETHIOPIA'S GOVERNMENT
SPOKESWOMAN CALLS ERITREA'S REPORT OF DESTROYING TANKS AND
SHOOTING DOWN A MIG THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING SHE HAS EVER HEARD.
ERITREA MADE SIMILAR STATEMENTS ABOUT FIGHTING AROUND THE TOWN OF
BADAME MORE THAN TWO-WEEKS AGO. ETHIOPIA WON THAT BATTLE,
PUSHING ERITREAN TROOPS BACK ACROSS THE BORDER AND FORCING
ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI TO ACCEPT AN "ORGANIZATION OF
AFRICAN UNITY" PLAN TO ARBITRATE THE DISPUTE.
IN AN INTERVIEW BROADCAST (MONDAY) ON ERITREAN RADIO, PRESIDENT
ISAYAS SAYS HE HAS LEARNED FROM MISTAKES ON THE BADAME FRONT AND
THE ARMY IS IN A POSITION TO DEFEND AGAINST ANY ATTACK.
WHILE ETHIOPIA IS CLAIMING VICTORY, PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS THE
ISSUE BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES IS POLITICAL, NOT MILITARY. HE SAYS
NO ONE CAN SPEAK OF VICTORY UNTIL THE POLITICAL QUESTION IS FULLY
RESOLVED.
SINCE IT ACCEPTED THE O-A-U PLAN, ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN
TRYING TO BACK OUT OF THE DEAL BY CONTINUING TO FIGHT AND
COMING-UP WITH NEW PRECONDITIONS TO STALL THE PEACE PROCESS.
ERITREA SAYS IT IS READY TO PULLBACK ITS FORCES AT THE SAME TIME
AS ETHIOPIA IN KEEPING WITH THE O-A-U ARRANGEMENT.
// OPT // THE DEAL CALLS FOR BOTH SIDES TO DEMILITARIZE THE
BORDER, AN INTERNATIONAL MONITORING FORCE FOR DISPUTED AREAS, AND
A COMMISSION TO DECIDE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE BORDER WITHIN
SIX-MONTHS. // END OPT //
ETHIOPIA SAYS ERITREA IS BLOCKING O-A-U MEDIATION BY REFUSING TO
WITHDRAW FROM TERRITORIES ADMINISTERED BY ETHIOPIA BEFORE
FIGHTING BEGAN LAST MAY. ETHIOPIA SAYS IF ERITREA IS SERIOUS
ABOUT THE O-A-U PLAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS SHOULD PROVE IT BY
PULLING-OUT OF CONTESTED AREAS, INCLUDING ZALAMBESA.
// REST OPT // HAVING SUCCESSFULLY RETAKEN THE TOWN OF BADAME,
MILITARY OBSERVERS SAY ETHIOPIA IS MOVING TO RECLAIM ZALAMBESA AS
WELL. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/PCF/RAE
15-Mar-99 11:00 AM EST (1600 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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