US citizens leave warring Eritrea and Ethiopia

The US asked its working but not main staff in its embassy and agencies to leave Ethiopia and Eritrea together with their families.

A western diplomatic source in Addis Ababa said on Thursday that this decision does not include the main working staff in the two US embassies, the US Agency for International Development and the US Peace Corps and their families.

The source added that the US government will bear the cost of the evacuation. Most of the Americans included by the decision left Ethiopia since early Thursday and all personnel recruited in the US Peace Corps and its programs were suspended.

In the same context, the special Japanese envoy, Morishu Okey, arrived in Addis Ababa on Thursday carrying a message from the Japanese prime minister to the Ethiopian prime minister. The message calls for a peaceful settlement to the Ethiopian - Eritrean conflict.

AFP quoted a Japanese source as saying that Okey was to meet on Thursday afternoon the Ethiopian prime minister. The Japanese diplomat stressed on Thursday that Japan calls upon both Ethiopia and Eritrea to settle their border disputes by means of dialogue and peaceful settlement.

Fighting between the two countries were resumed last Saturday following a seven-month truce.