DAILY UPDATE
1. Ethiopia has not carried out the air strike that it has threatened
to launch after the expiry of the "13 hour window" it had given to foreign governments on Saturday afternoon (4:00 p.m. LT) to enable them to evacuate their nationals. Neither has Ethiopia launched any ground attacks on the different border areas. This lull in the fighting in the last two days does not, however signal a change of heart on the part of Ethiopia. The attacks may be launched any time as Ethiopia's declaration of war remains in full force. Addis Ababa has instructed yesterday, June 7, 1998, soldiers of the former Ethiopian military government, the Dergue, to report for re-instatement into the army.
2. Efforts by Heads of State and Government to promote a peaceful
resolution to the crisis between Eritrea and Ethiopia continue. The Italian Head of State, the Honorable Luigi Scalfaro, has sent messages to both governments to receive the Italian envoy, Undersecretary of State Serri. The Italian envoy is expected to visit both capitals in the coming days.
3. Eritrea has presented constructive proposals to the OAU Summit of Heads of State and Government in Burkina Faso, which is expected to discuss the crisis between Eritrea and Ethiopia in its session today. In its message to the Summit, the Government of Eritrea has underlined that:
Ethiopia, in a clear contravention of the OAU Charter, has violated
Eritrean territorial integrity and sovereignty;
Ethiopian troops are still occupying Eritrean territory in the Setit, Mereb and Bada areas;
Ethiopia through its air strikes and threats and blackmail has blockaded Eritrea and that this is intolerable to any sovereign nation; The only stumbling block to a peaceful resolution is Ethiopia's logic of force. Ethiopia refuses to accept cessation of hostilities, insisting that Eritrea must first accept the decision of the Ethiopian parliament and 'withdraw unconditionally' from areas that are indisputably Eritrean.
More importantly, Eritrea has presented to the OAU Summit concrete
proposals to give a new impetus to the peace process. Specifically, Eritrea has:
1. Renewed its call for an end to all hostilities, as Eritrea's position all along has been against any hostilities. The demilitarisation proposal that Eritrea has insisted on will also ensure that hostilities once ended will not recur.
2. Called for the start of direct talks between Eritrea and Ethiopia in the presence of high level mediators so as to ensure a speedy resolution of the crisis.
3. Requested the OAU to set up a mechanism at the highest level to ensure the OAU's contribution to the peace process.
Eritrean News Agency
June 8, 1998
Asmara, Eritrea.