“Surprise” attack includes use of aircraft

Unconfirmed reports claim Ethiopian aircraft have attacked areas south of the Eritrean town of Mendefera, on a strategic road linking Asmara to the Ethiopian border. Diplomatic sources told IRIN that fixed-wing aircraft being used by Ethiopia in the offensive was “hardly surprising”, in view of the number of aircraft acquired by Addis Ababa since the start of the conflict.

Several diplomatic sources confirmed fighting was on-going in Bure, on the eastern front; in Zela Ambessa and Alitena on the central front; and on the western front in the Badme region.

A statement issued by the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said Ethiopia, regardless of the peace process, had prepared for war and publicly stated it would be launched “when the preparations are complete”. The statement said Ethiopia was refusing to sign basic documents in an OAU peace plan “because it has not accepted them in the first place... and does not wish to see the demarcation of the boundary”.

The statement, carried by the state news agency ERINA, said that Ethiopia’s prime minister Meles Zenawi had announced his intention to resort to war to the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa as well as the visiting UN Security Council mission. It claimed he said Ethiopia is “going to war and it will resolve the conflict soon”.

Diplomatic sources in Asmara told IRIN that the attack “came as a surprise to many of us” even though there was anticipation in government circles of a new attack “since Meles’ meeting with the diplomatic mission on Monday”. Life in Asmara is so far untouched by the new round of fighting, a diplomat told IRIN - “this has been the situation in the past”.

Richard Holbrooke, at a stop-off in Germany, accused the leaders of the two nations of “stupidity” for failing to resolve a dispute, with “cruel disregard of the interests of the people”, reports AP.