Saleh for dialogue between Khartoum, Addis Ababa and Asmara

The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has announced his readiness to bring together each of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan in a tripartite meeting bringing his country together with Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders due to be held on December 28 in Khartoum.

In a press conference he had held with the President of Eritrea Asyas Afourki in conclusion of the latter's visit to Sanaa, Saleh urged resorting for dialogue instead of force to solve the conflicts.

For his part, Affourki expressed thanks over the efforts made to bring together view points among the countries of the region.

An armed conflict erupted between Yemen and Eritrea over Hanish strategic island on the Red Sea in 1995 and the Hague settled the conflict in favor of Yemen.

Moreover, each of Eritrea and Ethiopia had a war in the period between 1998- 2000 after which the two sides reached a peace agreement and Addis Ababa agreed a decision by an independent committee to demarcate borders between the two countries in 2002.

The relations between Khartoum and Asmara are not good. Each side accuses the other of encouraging opposition groups at a time when Khartoum accuses Asmara of supporting the rebels in Darfur district.