Ethiopia stresses an attack against its embassy in Asmara

The state run Ethiopian Herald issued on Sunday quoted officials at the Ethiopian embassy in Asmara as saying that "a group of persons broke into the premises of the Ethiopian embassy in Asmara and downed its national flag before they had burnt it."

Addis Ababa "accused the Eritrean security officers who are positioned at the entrance of the embassy that they did not do anything to prevent the crowded masses to get into the premises of the embassy."

Eritrea accused Ethiopia in the mid of February 1999 of occupying its embassy in Addis Ababa and seizing its staff as hostages. The accusation was expressed in a memorandum Eritrea submitted to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

The Ethiopian authorities denied these accusations, noting that the Eritrean embassy staff had the " freedom to move."

Worthy mentioning Ethiopia and Eritrea who on June 18 signed an agreement to halt acts of aggression between themselves following two years of war, did not sever diplomatic relations.