12 May 2000
Text: U.S. Calls on Ethiopia/Eritrea to Resume Peace Talks
(FR)(Spokesman Boucher deplores reports of new fighting) (280) State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher on May 12 deplored new reports of heavy fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He called on both nations to cease hostilities and to resume peace talks immediately, without preconditions, under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). He said the OAU peace plan offers "a fair, just, and durable solution" to the border conflict. Following is the text of Boucher's statement: (begin text) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman May 12, 2000 STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN NEW FIGHTING BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA The governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea both indicate that heavy fighting has resumed along the Ethiopia/Eritrea border today. We deplore this unjustified resumption of hostilities. The United States urgently calls on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to end the fighting and immediately resume talks without preconditions under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The OAU peace plan offers a fair, just, and durable solution to the conflict, and remaining differences regarding implementation arrangements can be resolved through continued OAU mediation. The United States has actively worked for a peaceful resolution of this dispute since it began nearly two years ago. We, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and the rest of the international community will work with and in support of the OAU to help end this tragic and unnecessary conflict and reach a durable peaceful settlement of the conflict. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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