ERINA Update
(Eritrean News Agency,
Tel: ++291-1-117627, Fax: 127385)
Monday, May 17, 1999


1.  Several international organizations operating in Ethiopia continue toinform the Eritrean government about the plight of thousands of Eritreancivilians who have been prevented from leaving Ethiopia despite the factthat they have been dismissed from their jobs and had their property andlivelihood confiscated. While the government in Addis Ababa has notforcefully deported these Eritreans, they have refused exit visas andconfiscated the travel documents of close to ten thousand Eritreans who hadbeen residing in Ethiopia and have expressed a desire to leave. NGOs andvarious humanitarian organizations have been working on behalf of thestranded Eritreans who have been prevented from returning to Eritrea.

2.  The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement todaycalling for a concerted effort by the OAU and the international community atlarge to focus on the provisions and measures for the implementation of theOAU Framework Agreement. The ministry statement questioned "Ethiopia'spreferred choice which seems to impede the peace process by raising issuesof interpretation." The ministry statement asserted that the agreement was"unambiguous" and did not justify Ethiopia's preconditions.

The ministry released a statement yesterday condemning Ethiopia's unprovokedair raids on the port city of Massawa in which one civilian was killed. Anofficial in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today said, "The internationalcommunity should have sufficient evidence as to the desire of Ethiopia tothwart all peace efforts. They seek to provoke us into a new round of fightsand throw the whole agreement out the window."