The Ethiopian government has today accused Eritrea of launching an air attack on AdiGrat at 10:45 a.m. This is a complete fabrication.

But the design is clear. Because Ethiopia is planning to launch a full-scale war against Eritrea, it has been fabricating stories this week of Eritrea's "provocations and attacks." Thus, while it was Ethiopia that opened a new front in Tsorona (central Eritrea-Ethiopia border) by deploying about 55,000 troops--including the "elite" 20th Division, Ethiopia claimed earlier this week that "Eritrea had deployed troops in the Tsorona front to attack industrial sites in northern Tigray and the obelisk in Aksum."

The fabricated story of an air attack against AdiGrat falls into this pattern. Obviously, Ethiopia want to break the moratorium on air strikes brokered by the United States on June 14, 1998. But, as the party that wants to break the moratorium has to inform the United States Government, Ethiopia has preferred to fabricate a story rather than inform the United States of its real intentions.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 5 February 1999