Eritrea ‘rejects Ethiopia provocation’
Eritrea has said it will not be "entrapped" into retaliating after Ethiopia launched a cross-border border raid on three military bases. Eritrea has said it will not be "entrapped" into retaliating after Ethiopia launched a cross-border
Eritrea has said it will not be “entrapped” into retaliating after Ethiopia launched a cross-border border raid on three military bases.
Eritrea has said it will not be “entrapped” into retaliating after Ethiopia launched a cross-border border raid on three military bases.
“It is those who do not know the price of war who are hungry to go to war,” Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu told the AFP news agency.
Ethiopia said it attacked three military bases where rebel groups were being trained.
The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000.
The United States has called on both countries to “exercise restraint and to avoid any further military action”.
The attack had raised fears that the bitter rivals could resume full-scale hostilities but Eritrea moved to quell such speculation.
“We fought enough for 30 years, and we will never be dragged into war through such hostile provocations as this,” Mr Ali told AFP.
“The people and government of Eritrea shall not entertain, and will not be entrapped by, such deceitful ploys,” a foreign ministry statement said.
It said the attack was mean to divert attention from Ethiopia’s “illegal occupation” of Eritrean territory, as well as its internal problems
Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of refusing to withdraw from the village of Badme, where the border war began, despite The Hague-based Boundary Commission 2002 ruling that it belonged to Eritrea.
A number of people were killed and others captured when three camps were attacked up to 18km (11 miles) inside Eritrean territory, an Ethiopian defence official said but further details have not been released.
‘Hit-and-run terrorists’
In recent weeks Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of backing Ethiopian rebels who staged a January raid in the northern Afar region that killed five Western tourists.
Two German nationals were taken hostage during that attack – there has been no official word of their condition since.
Ethiopian government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said the army units involved had returned to camp after “successfully completing” their mission.
He said Eritrea was harbouring “hit-and-run terrorists”, and he warned of further possible operations.
“As long as Eritrea remains a launching pad for attacks against Ethiopia, similar measures will continue to be taken,” he said.
Ethiopia is also engaged in military operations in neighbouring Somalia, where it is fighting the Islamist al-Shabab group.
Eritrea denies accusations that it backs al-Shabab.
Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia in 1952 but gained independence in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war.
Source: BBC
Zebib March 16, 2012
This could very well be the dawn! IA and henchmen (and women) may already be so weakened by 20 years of ruling by lies and denial that this ‘aggressive’ action from our neighbours may send them packing to where they have been hiding the cashe and nest all along! God willing, it could be fast, bloodless and without any loss of lives on both sides. The war-mongering IA is subdued and humbled. He, the provoker of wars not only at his home but elsewhere, refuses to be dragged!! Never thought I would live to hear that! It seems evident that he does not have the EDF and the Eritrean people at this point in time and he knows it! Even in news denied Eritrea, his true self is exposed and very few probably believe that he cares more for the Eritrean people than his absolute grip of power. May be the time is at hand that we can live as freedom-loving people exercising centuries old legacy of wisdom and craving for justice, interacting peacfully with all our neighbours and particularly with our sister country, Ethiopia. In my view, Hgdef is galringly revealed by how Ali Abdou (interviews) treats this very serious and grave situation: with abject arrogance and ‘wedi shuQ’ type insults, in the image of his master. I am saddned that my country has fallen into such incompetent hands!
Kerkebet March 16, 2012
What the misinformation ministry is saying basically is this. Eritrea will take this slap on the face in stride just like a weak person gets a bitch slap and just takes the humiliation because he/she is too weak to retaliate. So there you have it. The ruling elite in Eritrea and their blind followers are in a fantasy land. They are still stuck in the trenches of Nakfa of late seventies and eighties. Those days were the good old days thanks to the East-West idealogical differences. And these relics of cold war are past their prime time. Eritrea will become a brothel to whoever has small money that is needed to survive. his is the shame that most are too afraid to talk about. The mad man and his Mafia thugs have turned the nation once proud and united into a cesspool. And now the Tigriayan thugs are once again going to humiliate their Northern cousins just as they had done in the past. A thug will punish another thug. How sad.
thomi March 16, 2012
I think my complaint on assenna back. It is funny that I forgot to check my posting on the older postings/comments. It goes to the next page really fast as such I was confused or I am jst stupid and I have no excuses:)
thomi March 16, 2012
I take my complaint on assenna back. It is funny that I did not go to the older posting to check. It goes to the next page really fast as such I was confused or I was just stupid not to check and I have no excuses for this:)
zewde March 16, 2012
Assenna has no ‘home’ this is causing complex in the internet.
for example, if you give a comment after posting, and if you want to the main site or say ‘home’ Assenna has no developed main or home.
so you will directly go to the old news or either to Tigrina or English.
The only thing you will need to do after giving comments is, if you want to go back to Assenna home, you have to type in the search box ‘Assenna’ again.
i think Assena need to amend its website. it has no good structures. it leaves a lot holes.
Samar March 16, 2012
Isaias pack your luggage, it is time to leave. The fail of the regime to respond arrogantly as usual is a sign of their weakness. It is the time of the opposition to show us a quick move for action against the heads of the regime, they are lack defenders, all our people are against them.
semere March 16, 2012
The response of the ministry of Information of Eritrea is very un-Isayas. It contradicts his personality the history of his rudeness. It is a clear sign that the regime has no option except swallowing the humiliation. He played with fire for a long time and not it is blowing on his face. If Isayas truly believes in the value of peace, he should have said this long ago, before waging wars with the neighbors that brought untold loss of innocent Eritrean youth. The regime will not convince anybody with its seemingly wise and mature statement.
semere March 16, 2012
The response of the ministry of Information of Eritrea is very un-Isayas. It contradicts his personality and the history of his rudeness. It is a clear sign that the regime has no option except swallowing the humiliation. He played with fire for a long time and now it is blowing on his face. If Isayas truly believes in the value of peace, he should have said this long ago, before waging wars with its neighbors that brought untold loss of innocent Eritrean youth. The regime will not convince anybody with its seemingly wise and mature statement.
Sumbikh Embekhta Entus March 16, 2012
PIA’s handling of this attack by the Ethiopian forces reminds me of the situation back in the days of the armed struggle for liberation when the EPLF was supposedly provoked by the TPLF, in which EPLF media came up with the mantra “suq zibelna, suq kinibil sile zidelena ena” [we kept silent because we preferred to keep silent]. Silence in those days was perceived by the majority of EPLF supporters as the stand of an even-minded, calm and genuine leadership. As is always the case, PIA then grabbed all the credit, while he was incessantly plotting in the background what he is best at: neger! tseyqi!
At they say, history repeats itself. Right now, he is trying to give an impression that he is a leader who cares about his people, a leader who understands the cost of a war. Whereas it is undeniably true that he does not have the legitimacy and buoyancy he once had and hence will not be able to strike back, I am not naïve to think that he not currently plotting and weaving acts that would only put the lives of our young into greater risk!
He is not the kind of man who would pack up and leave. Believe me – this guy has long passed the threshold of bagging and packing. Unfortunately, he will linger for a while. If this guy is to leave, my gut feeling is that he will only leave the Ghadafi style.
FELKET March 16, 2012
This is just the beginning. The Woyane mafia will humiate the PFDJ mafia bandits. They will take Assab which now they realize was the biggest mistake and the West will be to busy to repair their economy and going back to the drawing board to brain storm how not to get stuck in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The big mouth no action blind supporters from the safety of their dwellings may spew their love for Eritrea and how they will fight Woyane to bitter end on the internet of course. Eritrea is a write off. No one will want this unwanted child. The few resources they have will be taken by whoever comes and is willing to put the time and resources. The money will be invested wisely in some western nation in the form of a real estate stolen from long suffering Eritreans.
amuca March 16, 2012
Disgusting people (hegdefawyan), what do they now about people’s life, do they care? NOOOO they are dead meat. They don’t now how to react with this situation. It is very sad for our people to have such shameless government.
tegadalay March 16, 2012
breaking news WEYANE start beging to QATAR & ISRAEL to mandeted talk with eritre acording the news QATAR & ISRAEL PUT 5points to both countrys it more applay to WEYANE THE POINTS ARE 1 QTAR TO lease PORT OF ASSEB FOR 20 YEARS from ERITREA THEN QATAR BEAN KIND LET ETHIOPIA USE IT 2ND THE MOST IMPORTANT IS WEYANE HAVE TO ALOW THE DIMARCATION BORDER & WITHDROW ITS troops so after ansecsacifull trying to force the UN & USA AGAINST ERITREA THE WEYANE REGIME IS BEGING & THAT IS abad news to the AWSSA IDIOTS