Clips from Presidential spokesperson, Yemane Ghebreab

Eritrean News Agency (erina@eol.com.er)
Thu, 16 Jul 1998 11:34:17 -0700 (MST)

Eritrean News Agency (ERINA) Eritrean News Agency (ERINA)

 ERINA Update

Thursday, July 16, 1998

1. Eritrea says "the chances of a peaceful settlement of the Eritrean-Ethiopian conflict are very much alive." Speaking on Eritrean television, presidential spokesperson, Yemane Ghebreab, stressed that those organizations and governments who have been involved in the process "have not given up hope and remain engaged." He added that with time the issues surrounding the conflict and the elements of a peaceful and legal settlement have become very clear and that Eritrea's peace proposal has been regarded as "very constructive."

Mr. Ghebreab discounted speculation about a major military confrontation between the two countries. He attributed the speculation to "bluffs" by the Ethiopian government, which has been hinting of an impending offensive for nearly a month as a way of pressuring the international community to pressure Eritrea to accept Ethiopia's ultimatum of unilateral withdrawal. Eritrea has made clear that it will not, "under any circumstances," withdraw unilaterally. The Eritrean spokesperson did not rule out the possibility that there could be further skirmishes, but he said that decision was in Ethiopian hands as Eritrea, which did not start the war in the first place, "was not interested in further fighting." He added that the results of further fighting would not be different from previous engagements and would not serve Ethiopia's interests.

Speaking about the humanitarian dimensions of the conflict, the Eritrean spokesperson denounced Ethiopia's contention that the massive deportation of Eritrean legal residents of Ethiopia did "not constitute a violation of human rights." He said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's statement that Ethiopia had unlimited rights to expel foreigners if it "did not like the colour of their eyes" was "alarming and outrageous." "It is this kind of thinking that is driving the campaign of hate, arrests and expulsions of Eritreans," the spokesperson added. Mr. Ghebreab reaffirmed that Eritrea had not expelled any Ethiopian and that it had not resorted to arbitrary detention of Ethiopians. He revealed that Eritrea had called on the ICRC and the UN Human Rights Commission to investigate any Ethiopian allegation of human rights violations by Eritrea.

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