• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=5/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ERITREA/BORDER WAR (L)
NUMBER=2-262903
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=ASMARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Eritrea says fighting is continuing along the 
border with Ethiopia, even though it says its forces 
have withdrawn from all disputed territory.  
Correspondent Nick Simeone reports from the Eritrean 
capital, Asmara, where the government is not 
optimistic about peace talks with Ethiopia set to open 
Monday in Algiers.
TEXT:  Fighting was reported around the southern 
Eritrean town of Senafe.  Journalists were prevented 
from reaching the area but refugees speak of Ethiopian 
forces killing adults and shelling the region.
Thousands of people are said to be fleeing, moving to 
areas further north into Eritrea's mountainous, desert 
interior, a rugged region that serves as a natural 
defense separating Asmara from the war to the south.  
Ethiopia and Eritrea were once one country, but for 
the past two-years they have been disputing territory 
along their border.  Outside mediation has failed to 
stop the war and during the past two weeks, Ethiopian 
forces have struck deep into Eritrea; bringing the 
government in Asmara to offer territorial concessions 
ahead of Monday's peace talks.
Eritrea says it has complied with terms of a 
negotiated peace worked out by the Organization of 
African Unity.  Although Ethiopia says it has no 
territorial ambitions on its northern neighbor, 
Eritrea says its forces continue to come under attack 
and will fight back as long as they are threatened.  
But in Asmara, Eritreans, including government 
spokesman Yemane Ghebremeskel, suspect Ethiopia of 
having a wider agenda.
            // GHEBREMESKEL ACT //
      As far as Eritrea is concerned, it has done 
      everything that it can possibly do.  But if you 
      ask me whether the Ethiopians are going to 
      accept a peace formula, I have my doubts.
            // END ACT //
Despite claims by Ethiopia, Eritrea says it has 
withdrawn forces from two border towns (Bada and Bure) 
that were not disputed.  A move intended to deny 
Ethiopia any pretext to continue pressing a war whose 
goals remain murky, but whose death toll is believed 
to be tens-of-thousands in just the past two-weeks.   
(SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/RAE
28-May-2000 13:18 PM EDT (28-May-2000 1718 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.