Heavy fighting continues in Badme

Heavy fighting continued today (Wednesday) between Ethiopian and Eritrean troops along the Badme front. “The fighting is extremely intensive since yesterday (Tuesday) morning,” Eritrean government spokesman Yemane Ghebremeskel told IRIN today. Ethiopia on its part maintained that fighting would continue “until our sovereign territory has been restored”. A statement from the office of the government spokesperson said Ethiopia was just exercising its right to self-defence with scrupulous observance of both humanitarian principles and the Geneva convention on war. It said that if outside observers wanted the fighting to cease, they should apply all possible pressure on Eritrea to accept and implement the OAU framework agreement for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.