Press Release
Ethiopian Casualties Mount As Intense Fighting Continues

Fierce fighting is raging on the Mereb-Setit front for the fifth day running, today. Ethiopian forces are sustaining heavy casualties although a full report of these losses was not available at press time.
Yesterday, one SU-25 Ethiopian bomber plane (wrongly identified as a SU-27) was shot down and its pilot, Wondu Ghenda, killed. A second SU-25 also crashed. In addition, Eritrean defense forces shot down a MI-24 helicopter gunship and its pilot was killed.

In a related development, the UN Security Council failed to reach a consensus in its deliberations yesterday as Ethiopia rejected UN Security Council Resolution 1297 of 12 May. Eritrea is very much dismayed by the failure of the Security Council to honor its obligations. Ethiopia's resumption of its war of aggression poses a clear threat to international peace and security and, in Eritrea's view, the Security Council has an obligation to invoke Chapter VII and take punitive measures, including an arms embargo and economic sanctions, against Ethiopia.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 16 May 2000