Ethiopian envoy says aim to incapacitate Eritrean army

In Nairobi, the Ethiopian ambassador, Tashome Toga, told a press conference that Ethiopia would agree to halt the war only when the Eritrean army was incapacitated. “Ethiopia will incapacitate the military machines of Eritrea for the better security of the sub-region,” he said. “Ethiopia will not stop the fighting until it makes sure that Eritrea is not a threat to its national security.” The ambassador’s remarks appeared to go further than previous Ethiopian statements, which have said that Ethiopia would remove its forces from Eritrean territory “immediately”, when Eritrea withdrew from territory it occupied after 6 May 1998.