The Ethiopian government on Monday again accused Eritrea of ”terrorist activities” aimed at destabilising the region and of orchestrating the kidnapping of a group of Europeans and their Ethiopian guides.
In an Information Ministry statement, it ”urged the international community to condemn the ever-worsening terrorist activities of the Eritrean regime, as the regime has become a threat to the peace and stability of the sub-region”.
”The Eritrean regime is engaged in terrorist activities to destabilise the horn of Africa. The kidnapping of Europeans and eight Ethiopians is a clear testimony [to] Eritrea’s terrorist act.”
The statement was published a day after the Ethiopians, who were abducted along with a British embassy-linked group on March 1 in north-east Ethiopia, were released. The five Europeans were freed after 12 days.
Ethiopia has repeatedly alleged that neighbouring Eritrea was involved in the abductions, which were claimed by rebels in the remote Afar region on the countries’ border.
Asmara, which has strongly denied any connection with the kidnappings, insisted earlier on Monday that the abducted Ethiopians had never been in Eritrea.
”It was an Ethiopian matter, of Ethiopians being kidnapped by Ethiopians,” Information Minister Ali Abdu said, adding that ”Eritrea had nothing to do with it”.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bitter territorial war between 1998 and 2000 and are still at odds over their unresolved border dispute. — Sapa-AFP