Asmara cites ceasefire violations

Accusing its southern neighbour Ethiopia of ceasefire violations, Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to investigate alleged air raids, attacks on villages and mine laying incidents, news reports said on Tuesday. In a complaint similar to one it sent the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the United States, the European Union and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Eritrea demanded “a speedy” investigation.

The Eritrea government alleged that early on 17 July, three Ethiopian fighter planes penetrated its airspace in the Assab port area, southeastern Eritrea. Two of the planes were hit “as they attacked our defence installations”, it said in a letter to the Security Council. The action was described as a violation of the 18 June ceasefire, which ended the two-year border war. It also alleged that Ethiopia had placed new landmines inside Eritrean territory, and accused Ethiopia of demolishing Eritrean villages, even while a UN reconnaissance mission was in the country two weeks ago. Ethiopian troops were also accused in the letter of destroying 170 private homes in Kidd Iqa in the south, and burning huts in Guluj and Omhajer in the west.

“It is clear that unless these violations are rectified in time, they will gradually erode and may ultimately nullify,” the June 18 agreement, known as the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities, the government letter to the Security Council was quoted as saying. There were no independent confirmation of the charges, and Eritrea said Ethiopia had so far denied the allegations.