ERINA Update
(Eritrean News Agency,
Tel: ++291-1-117627, Fax: 127385)
Tuesday, August 13, 1999
President departs for working
visit to United States
President Isaias Afwerki left Asmara yesterday for a working visit
to the
United States. The president will hold discussions with members of
the
Eritrean community in America and is expected to meet with officials
in the
US government and the United Nations. The president is expected to
reiterate, while on his mission, Eritrea's standing commitment to peace
and
to the resolution of the conflict.
Foreign Ministry calls Ethiopian
claim "diversion"
Senior presidential advisor, Yemane Gebremeskel, has dismissed claims
by
Ethiopia that Eritrea was "masterminding attacks into Ethiopia through
the
OLF." Mr. Yemane said, "This is clearly a red herring being thrown
in to
divert pressure from Ethiopia which is in a diplomatic corner. The
notion
that we are supporting and, indeed, hastily forming groups which predated
this conflict is absurd. Everyone knows full well that the groups Ethiopia
accuses us of masterminding were once active members of the EPRDF coalition.
Ethiopia must not be given a chance to undermine peace at this juncture.
We
have both agreed to peace and now the ball is in Ethiopia's court.
Rather
than issue baseless claims and inflammatory statements, the government
in
Addis Ababa must now show the international community whether it is
committed to peace."