DATE=5/30/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA (L)
NUMBER=2-262975
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=TSORONA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Ethiopia's army says it is pulling out of some
parts of Eritrea, while continuing to hold other
areas. Correspondent Scott Stearns is with Ethiopia's
army inside Eritrea.
TEXT: Ethiopia says its troops are leaving western
Eritrea after routing the Eritrean army and capturing
more than 100-kilometers of territory since the
offensive began last week.
Retreating Eritrean troops in the west tried to
regroup at a military training camp, but Ethiopia's
air force says it chased them into Sudan.
Ethiopia says its withdrawal shows that it does not
intend to occupy the country and is only interested in
reclaiming border territory seized by
Eritrea when the war began two-years ago.
Ethiopians are holding their ground on the central
front. On the southern most front near Djibouti,
Ethiopia says its still waiting for Eritrea to
withdraw from the areas of Bure and Bada.
Ethiopia's withdrawal from the western areas of
Eritrea has several advantages for Ethiopia.
Strategically it ends the need to maintain a massive
re-supply operation deep inside Eritrea. It also
removes the threat that Ethiopian troops could be
attacked by small bands of Eritrean guerrillas.
Having accomplished what it set out to do on the
western front Ethiopia can now use its artillery,
tanks and ground troops elsewhere.
Diplomatically, the withdrawal serves two purposes.
It should eventually ease the humanitarian needs of
displaced Eritrean civilians - both in Sudan and
inside the country - allowing them to return home and
take international pressure off Ethiopia for uprooting
them in the first place.
The withdrawal should also benefit Ethiopia's foreign
ministry at Organization of African Unity proximity
talks in Algeria. Because Eritrea says it is
withdrawing from disputed areas in the interest of
peace, Eritrea wants the international community to
pressure Ethiopia to stop fighting.
But Ethiopia says that is not going to happen until it
is satisfied that it has all its land back.
Withdrawing from western Eritrea gives Ethiopia the
chance to say it will do the same on the central front
and the southern Bure front once it has recaptured its
land and driven Eritrea's army back from the border.
(SIGNED)
NEB/SS/KBK
30-May-2000 13:34 PM EDT (30-May-2000 1734 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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