DATE=5/31/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ETHIOPIA-ERITREA UPDATE(L)
NUMBER=2-263031
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Ethiopia's prime minister says his country's
border war with Eritrea is over. As V-O-A's Scott
Stearns reports, Ethiopia says it will stay in some
parts of Eritrea until there is a formal cease-fire.
wants a new peace plan to recognize its recent
battlefield gains.
TEXT: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told diplomats
Wednesday that the war is over now that Eritrean
troops have withdrawn from all the land they occupied
at the start of the conflict two years ago. He said
Ethiopia's army will change its strategy from attack
to defense.
Ethiopia has already pulled out of western Eritrea.
The prime minister said Ethiopia is ready to withdraw
from other areas on the central and southern fronts.
But he insists Ethiopia will not give up control of
strategic Eritrean positions that threaten two
Ethiopian towns until there is a formal cease-fire
ending the conflict.
/// FIRST MELES ACT ///
Until we have a cessation of hostilities
agreement, we will remain in control of military
positions that we feel are necessary for our own
defense. As soon as we have a cessation of
hostilities agreement, we are ready to go back
to May 6th positions. If we have a cessation of
hostilities agreement five days from now, we are
prepared to begin to redeploy all across to May
6th positions, provided we have the security
guarantees.
/// END ACT ///
Eritrea says the war can not be over until Ethiopia
withdraws from all undisputed Eritrean territory,
returning to the pre-war, pre May 6th, border as
Eritrea has.
Prime Minister Meles agrees that Ethiopia has to leave
Eritrea, but he says there must be security guarantees
on the part of the international community that
Eritrea will not attack Ethiopia again.
/// SECOND MELES ACT ///
We have to withdraw to May 6th positions. Last
time around it was Eritrea, this time it's on
Ethiopia. But when we withdraw to May 6th
positions, knowing as we do how these people
behave, some bright morning some of these
leaders might have a hangover and decide to have
a go at us. We would rather avoid this problem.
/// END ACT ///
Both sides are taking part in Organization of African
Unity peace talks in Algiers. Earlier efforts to end
the war failed over when Eritrean troops should
withdraw from captured areas.
That problem's solved by Ethiopia re-taking the land,
but the O-A-U process faces huge challenges in
ultimately coming up with a new map.
In two weeks, Ethiopia advanced through hundreds of
square kilometers of Eritrea, scattering the country's
western army into Sudan. In the central highlands,
Eritrea's army put up more of a fight.
Ethiopia managed to reclaim the ground it lost and
then some inside Eritrea, but Ethiopia has not
advanced as easily as it did in the west.
Shortly after this round of fighting started, Prime
Minister Meles told diplomats that Ethiopia would end
the war once it regained all its territory. His
comments Wednesday followed that theme, saying that
Ethiopia has accomplished what it set out to do and
has no interest in more fighting. (Signed)
NEB/SS/gm
31-May-2000 18:51 PM LOC (31-May-2000 2251 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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