Press Update (2:45 p.m. LT)
Ethiopia Perpetrates Offensives on All Three Fronts

The Ethiopian regime has continued its war of invasion on the Assab front. The large-scale offensive that Ethiopia launched on this front on Thursday at 10:30 p.m. has continued throughout tonight and was raging fiercely at press time.

Ethiopia has unleashed this attack deep inside sovereign Eritrean territory despite Eritrea's redeployment from its fortifications at the established border (km. 71) almost two weeks ago in response to an arrangement made by the OAU and its partners.

Ethiopia attempted to justify its war of invasion and flagrant violation of the OAU arrangement claiming that this was "in response to Eritrean provocations." But, foreign journalists who visited the battle area yesterday confirmed that fighting was occurring at the new frontline to which Eritrea redeployed in response to the appeal by the OAU Chairman and its partners.

Ethiopia has also today unleashed new attacks on the Senafe and Om Hajer-Guluj fronts. Ethiopia's offensives come in the wake of the OAU proposal calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which Eritrea formally accepted yesterday. Ethiopia was expected to give its response at the 12:00 p.m. (Algiers time) today. Ethiopia's actions however demonstrate that it has already given its practical answer of rejection.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 10 June 2000