Fighting erupts between Ethiopia and Eritrea out today
Eritrea-Ethiopia, Politics, 5/12/2000

Heavy fighting along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea started today after the failure of a UN effort failed to resolve the differences between the two countries. Eritrea said in a statement today that "The Ethiopian regime has launched an offensive on the right and left flanks of the Mereb-Setit front today, 12 May 2000. The attack began shortly after midnight."

A delegation of the UN Security council arrived on Tuesday in Eritrea's capital, Asmara in a last attempt aiming at avoiding the eruption of a new round of confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea following the little progress attained in the talks with the Ethiopian officials.

The chairman of the seven-member delegation Richard Holbrooke described the mission of the delegation as a last attempt to avoid the eruption of fighting again between Eritrea and Ethiopia. He expressed his hope that the delegation will be able to contribute to solving this crisis.

Eritrea for its part blamed Ethiopia for the eruption saying "Earlier this week, Ethiopia's Prime Minister declared to the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa as well as the visiting UN Security Council mission that Ethiopia is "going to war and it will resolve the conflict soon." Ethiopia blames that the peace arrangements do not include returning back to the situation prevailing before May 6, 1998.

Today, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he deeply deplores the resumption of large-scale fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and appealed to both countries to cease hostilities immediately and return to negotiations. "The Secretary-General stresses that the differences between the two countries cannot justify in any way the great loss in human lives they already have suffered and stand to suffer further," a spokesman for Annan said in a UN statement.

Annan expressed concern that the renewed fighting would worsen an already grave humanitarian situation in both countries and the Horn of Africa.

Previous Stories:
  United Nations Security Council delegation heads for Eritrea   (5/11/2000)
  Ethiopia, Eritrea hold indirect negotiations in Algeria, Saturday   (3/24/2000)
  Ethiopia denies Eritrea's accusations   (3/6/2000)

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