Eritrea on Monday denied reports by the United Nations that it has been moving troops near its tense border with Ethiopia, a move that has increased tension between the Horn of Africa foes.
”It is not true at all that there is an Eritrean troop movement,” Information Minister Ali Abdu said. ”Those are baseless statements, fabrications.”
The UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee) has accused the nations of beefing up troops along the frontier, describing the situation as potentially volatile.
But both have sought to justify the movement of soldiers.
Early this month, Unmee’s force commander Rajender Singh, citing Asmara, said Eritrean troops were assisting local farmers with the harvest, a claim that was supported by Ali.
”Eritrea is only engaged in its development projects and agricultural revolution,” Ali reiterated.
Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the deployment of troops near the buffer zone was not a sign of belligerence, but a defensive move aimed at protect the country’s sovereignty, should Eritrea start up a full-scale offensive.
Ali dismissed Unmee’s reports as only meant to divert attention from Ethiopia’s internal strife, which has seen at least 48 people killed in poll-related violence.
Tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations have escalated in recent months over a border demarcation, which was fixed by an international panel in 2002 after a bloody-two year war (1998-2000) ended with 80 000 dead.
Ethiopia has never fully accepted the ruling, saying it wants the new border adjusted to avoid the splitting up of families. — Sapa-AFP