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DATE=3/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246675
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS TRYING TO END THE BORDER WAR 
BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA HAVE, SO FAR, FAILED TO COME UP WITH
A CEASEFIRE. MORE FIGHTING WAS REPORTED TUESDAY IN THE HORN OF 
AFRICA, AS VOA'S EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS.
TEXT: IT IS THE THIRD DAY OF COMBAT ON THE CENTRAL TSORONA FRONT,
120 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE ERITREAN CAPITAL, ASMARA.
ETHIOPIA SAYS FIGHTING RESUMED SHORTLY AFTER DAWN TUESDAY AROUND 
THE ERITREAN-HELD TOWN OF ZALAMBESA.
ERITREA SAYS IT HAS SHOT DOWN A FIGHTER JET AND DESTROYED MORE 
THAN 40 ETHIOPIAN TANKS SINCE SUNDAY, REPULSING A LARGE-SCALE 
OFFENSIVE. ERITREAN RADIO SAYS ETHIOPIA IS SENDING THOUSANDS OF 
FARMERS TO THE FRONT USING THEM AS WHAT IT CALLS "CANNON FODDER."
ETHIOPIA DENIES THE BATTLEFIELD LOSSES, SAYING THERE IS NO BIG 
OFFENSIVE, THAT SKIRMISHES ALONG THE BORDER EVENTUALLY LED TO 
FULL-SCALE FIGHTING.  ETHIOPIA'S GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS 
ERITREA'S CLAIMS OF HUGE SUCCESSES ON THE TSORONA FRONT ARE 
SIMILAR TO BOASTS MADE LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AGO ABOUT FIGHTING 
AROUND THE TOWN OF BADAME.
ERITREA ENDED-UP LOSING THAT BATTLE. PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI 
THEN ACCEPTED AN "ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY" PLAN TO 
ARBITRATE THE BORDER DISPUTE.
SINCE ACCEPTING O-A-U MEDIATION, PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS ETHIOPIA 
HAS BEEN TRYING TO BACK OUT OF THE DEAL BY CONTINUING THE FIGHT 
AND COMING UP WITH NEW PRECONDITIONS TO TORPEDO THE PEACE 
PROCESS. ERITREA SAYS IT IS READY TO PULL BACK ITS FORCES AT THE 
SAME TIME AS ETHIOPIA IN KEEPING WITH THE O-A-U ARRANGEMENT.
THAT DEAL CALLS ON BOTH SIDES TO DEMILITARIZE THE BORDER AHEAD OF
AN INTERNATIONAL MONITORING FORCE FOR DISPUTED AREAS.  IT ALSO 
CALLS FOR A COMMISSION TO DECIDE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE BORDER
WITHIN SIX MONTHS.
ETHIOPIA SAYS IT IS ERITREA THAT IS BLOCKING O-A-U MEDIATION BY 
REFUSING TO WITHDRAW FROM TERRITORIES ADMINISTERED BY ETHIOPIA 
BEFORE FIGHTING BEGAN LAST MAY.  IF ERITREA IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE 
O-A-U PLAN, ETHIOPIA SAYS PRESIDENT ISAYAS SHOULD PROVE IT BY 
PULLING OUT OF CONTESTED AREAS, INCLUDING ZALAMBESA. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/PCF
16-Mar-99 4:44 AM EST (0944 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.