Confrontation continues between Ethiopia and Eritrea

Ethiopia on Friday accused Eritrea of bombarding an Ethiopian town close to the borders under disputes between the two countries.

Spokeswoman for the Ethiopian government Saloumi Tadisi said that two Eritrea's warplanes raided a fuel warehouse and its surrounding area in the Adijeirat town. No immediate reports were made on casualties. The spokeswoman described Eritrea's attack as provocative and flagrant violation to the memorandum of understanding agreed by both Ethiopia and Eritrea in June 1998, under the US mediation.

MENA added that exchanged artillery bombardment renewed on Thursday at dawn between the Eritrean and Ethiopian troops on Bademi front in northwestern Ethiopia. The spokeswoman for the Ethiopian government Saloumi Tadisi said that the Eritrean troops started at 6 a.m. bombarding Gehamahlo center.

She added that Eritrea's forces also bombarded for 45-minutes in the afternoon Zalampisa front in Northern Ethiopia. The spokeswoman continued that the bombardment came after few days from the announcement made by Eritrea's President Assyas Afworki on January 31 that his forces will not start opening fire. A matter which contradicts what had taken place. She described Afworki 's statements as " a cover of smoke for the recent provocative works carried out by his forces as well as to launch new attacks at a time when pressures by the international community have been increased on Asmara to accept the African peaceful proposals to settle the disputes between the two countries."

However, the last bombardment operations mentioned by Addis Ababa erupted in the context of border disputes between the two countries was on January 23rd on Bademi front.

Meantime, the UN special envoy in Africa Muhammad Sahnoun arrived in Addis Ababa in the course of mediation efforts aiming at settling the border disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Upon his arrival Sahnoun met with the Ethiopian foreign minister Simon Masfin and will made later the prime Minister Malas Zenawi. Sahnoun is also expected to have met on Friday with the US ambassador in Addis Ababa David Shin before he will return back to the US today (Saturday).

Earlier on Wednesday, Sahnoun held talks in Asmara with the Eritrea's President. In Paris, the spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry Ann Gazo Sukreih called both Ethiopia and Eritrea "to adhere to further self-control." She also called upon the two sides to "abstain from making any initiative that may contribute to escalating the conflict." She stressed France's total support for the proposed agreement, the framework submitted by the delegation of the African Unity Organization AUO, the mediation efforts currently exerted especially those of the representative of the UN Secretary

France has recently consolidated its military presence in Djibouti of fears of possible extension of fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea.