Meles claims Eritrean defences about to crumble

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told diplomats on Tuesday that he expected Eritrean defences on the central front to crumble over the next 24 hours. In an address issued by the Ethiopian government website on Wednesday, Meles said Ethiopian forces had succeeded in taking control of all the commanding heights and key points on the front. “That means the biggest part of the territory occupied by Eritrea should be liberated within 24 hours,” he said. Referring to international calls from both sides to resume the ‘proximity talks’ which broke down in Algiers on 5 May, Meles said the talks had transformed themselves into “a dialogue of the deaf”. Ethiopia had not found it possible to accept calls by peace envoys for a ceasefire, he added. “We do not believe that the two roads are mutually exclusive. We have suggested to them [the envoys] that, to the extent that the military option is closed ... the peace process, the dialogue, transforms itself into the dialogue of the deaf, and, therefore, we have suggested to them that the best way of speeding up the peace process is to keep up the military pressure.”