DATE=3/18/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246809
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THERE IS MORE CONFLICTING NEWS FROM THE BORDER WAR
BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA. V-O-A EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT
SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS,ERITREA SAYS IT HAS ROUTED AN ETHIOPIAN
OFFENSIVE. AND ETHIOPIA SAYS FIGHTING IS CONTINUING.
TEXT: ERITREA SAYS IT HAS DRIVEN BACK MORE THAN 40-THOUSAND
ETHIOPIAN TROOPS TRYING TO OVER-RUN ERITREAN POSITIONS ON THE
TSORONA FRONT, 120 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE ERITREAN CAPITAL,
ASMARA.
ETHIOPIA SAYS THE BATTLE IS STILL GOING ON THURSDAY WITH MOST
FIGHTING CONCENTRATED ON THE ADJACENT EGELA FRONT WEST OF THE
ERTIREAN-HELD BORDER TOWN OF ZALAMBESA. ASKED TO CHARACTERIZE
THE COMBAT, ETHIOPIA'S GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN SAID EVERYBODY IS
USING EVERYTHING THEY HAVE GOT.
ERITREA SAYS IT HAS INFLICTED HUGE CASUALTIES ON ETHIOPIAN GROUND
FORCES, DESTROYING MORE THAN 50 TANKS. PRESS ACCOUNTS FROM THE
ERITREAN SIDE OF THE TSORONA FRONT REPORT HUNDREDS OF DEAD AND AT
LEAST 20 TANKS DESTROYED.
ETHIOPIA CONTINUES TO DENY THE BATTLEFIELD LOSSES, SAYING ERITREA
IS TRYING TO BOOST MORALE BY STAGING A PUBLIC RELATIONS DRAMA TO
DISTRACT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FROM ERITREA'S REFUSAL TO
WITHDRAW FROM ETHIOPIAN TERRITORY.
THERE ARE NEW REPORTS OF SKIRMISHES ALONG THE BADAME FRONT, ABOUT
160 KILOMETERS WEST OF TSORONA. ERITREA LOST THAT GROUND THREE
WEEKS AGO IN HEAVY FIGHTING THAT FORCED ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS
AFEWORKI TO ACCEPT A REGIONAL PLAN TO ARBITRATE THE BORDER
DISPUTE.
SINCE AGREEING TO THAT PLAN, PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS
BEEN TRYING TO GO BACK ON THE DEAL BY CONTINUING THE FIGHT AND
INTRODUCING NEW PRE-CONDITIONS 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 ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY
PLAN.
THAT DEAL CALLS ON BOTH SIDES TO DEMILITARIZE THE BORDER AHEAD OF
AN INTERNATIONAL MONITORING FORCE FOR DISPUTED AREAS AND 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.
BOTH SIDES ARE TRYING TO USE THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN TO
SCORE DIPLOMATIC POINTS AGAINST THE OTHER. U-N SECRETARY GENERAL
KOFI ANNAN IS ASKING THE O-A-U TO CLARIFY THE SPECIFICS OF THE
DEAL TO ELIMINATE THESE VARYING INTERPRETATIONS THAT BOTH
ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA ARE USING TO STALL THE PEACE PROCESS.
(SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/JWH
18-Mar-99 6:49 AM EST (1149 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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