Ethiopia denies refusing OAU peace plan details

The Ethiopian government said yesterday that it has not rejected the OAU peace agreement's modalities and technical arrangements, as asserted by Eritrea earlier this week.

A statement from the Ethiopian government's spokesperson's office said, "As discussions continue over the details of the technical arrangements, the Ethiopian government remains as committed as ever to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

"It is specifically because of Ethiopia's interest in securing a real and lasting peace that it is approaching the implementation of the peace proposal with caution and asking for clarifications regarding the details of the technical arrangements."

The Ethiopian statement accused Eritrea of obstructing the peace process, saying Eritrean President Issias Afwerki "by his own admission, took only ten minutes to scan the document before claiming to accept it. Since the Eritrean government is not sincerely committed to the peace proposal, the details for its implementation do not concern it."

The Eritrean Foreign Ministry, however maintains that Ethiopia formally rejected the OAU peace package and that it is "fabricating a litany of allegations these days as it prepares to launch a new offensive." It added that the Ethiopians are trying to "twist facts" by portraying Eritrea as the aggressor.

The Ethiopian government spokesperson's office today addressed Eritrean statements that there has been no recent fighting between the two sides except for small-scale shelling by Ethiopia, saying, "The government in Asmara not only denied that the Eritrean army attacked Ethiopian troops, but it also claimed that there had not been any fighting."

However, Ethiopia said, "The Eritrean government refused to escort journalists to the Eritrean side to verify its claim."

It added, "Foreign correspondents reported that 'With high-powered binoculars, however, one could see from the Ethiopian side, beyond the trenches, six Eritrean soldiers bearing bodies.' The journalists also spoke with a number of wounded Ethiopian soldiers who recounted their ordeals 'amid sporadic eruptions of artillery fire and the crack of automatic weapons.'"