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Ethiopia PM accuses Eritrea of kidnappings

* Meles says Addis Ababa has taken unnamed measures * Claims come a month after Ethiopia raids inside Eritrea * Asmara denies links By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA, April 17 (Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accused Eritrea

* Meles says Addis Ababa has taken unnamed measures

* Claims come a month after Ethiopia raids inside Eritrea

* Asmara denies links

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA, April 17 (Reuters) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accused Eritrea on Tuesday of abducting dozens of Ethiopian miners from the country’s northwest, in a potential escalation of tension between the arch-enemies.

Ethiopian troops crossed into the Red Sea state last month and attacked what they said were military bases used by rebels to stage raids, including a January attack that killed five Western tourists in Ethiopia’s remote Afar region.

These attacks were the first on Eritrean soil that Ethiopia has admitted to since the end of a devastating 1998-2000 border war, sparking concern that their unresolved frontier spat could escalate into a full-scale war.

“They (Eritrean government) recently kidnapped more than 100 young miners who were mining gold in our country’s northwest. And in the northeast, they killed some tourists and kidnapped others,” Meles said, the latter referring to the January raid.

“We have taken proportional measures in both locations,” he told lawmakers in response to a question on relations with Eritrea.

Meles did not specify when and exactly where the abductions in the country’s northwest Tigray region took place, nor the measures his country had subsequently taken.

Eritrean officials were not immediately available for comment, but they often dismiss their rivals’ allegations as a ploy to harm Eritrea’s reputation.

Ethiopia routinely accuses Asmara of supporting Ethiopian separatist groups. It blamed an Afar rebel movement for the kidnapping of Westerners in its northern Afar region in 2007, and again for the attack in the same area earlier this year.

Gunmen killed two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian in a dawn attack on a group of tourists in the remote Afar region on January 17, and seized two Germans and two Ethiopians.

A rebel group in the Afar region said in February it had freed the two Germans, although there has been no official confirmation of the release.

After the border war, the Hague-based Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission ruled that the flashpoint town of Badme belonged to Eritrea but the village remains in the hands of its neighbour, which is calling for negotiations to implement the ruling.

Asmara blames the international community for the impasse, and President Isaias Afewerki last month accused the United States of plotting the Ethiopian raids.

Ethiopia is Washington’s biggest ally in the Horn of Africa region and has deployed troops in lawless Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked insurgents in Somalia.

“The military incursions were plotted by Washington with the aim of diverting attention from implementing the boundary commission’s decision,” Isaias said in an interview with state television. (Editing by Yara Bayoumy)

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31 COMMENTS
  • Hawlal April 18, 2012

    Does it occur to you guys that these so called 100 miners could actually be “rangers” who tried to attach military installations inside Eritrea? I guess weyane were right to call you “hasasat…” they can hood-winkle you very easily and make you believe what ever lie they spew.

    • awat@yahoo.com April 18, 2012

      100 wayane soldiers captured by Warsay during attacked by Woyane last month.Eritrea did not want to talk about because Eritrea knew wayane will say something different to fool its people. Melles will lie all the time because he can not even tell his identity.This guy has identity crises and we will lie for ever to himself and to his people.

      • jonas-1923@hotmail.com April 18, 2012

        Awat
        Who emailed you this story, Ass aya Ass?you just make up stories as you go…Ass aya had 100 captured soldiers and didnt say a word for a month? I keep saying this, you guys are so immmature your age and brain development could be that of five year olds. You should not use computer without adult supervision.

        • awat@yahoo.com April 19, 2012

          why would Melles say that right now if Eritrea kidnapped 100 Ethiopians? Melles attacked Eritrea last month and he did not have any evidence to show how much damage caused in the Eritrean army. Now he came up with this kidnapping scenario about Eritrea which is not true if it was he would have gone to war with Eritrean at this moment to show his mussel. His inferiority shows that five Europeans are better that 100 Ethiopians. If Eritrea kidnapped 100 Ethiopian why did not go for attack to save these 100 Ethiopian from the Terrorists. It shows that Eritrea must have about 100 Ethiopian POW. Melles is trying to fool his people by saying kidnapping for him to believe that HIGDF is not a government but a terrorist group run by ISSAYAS in the territory of Ethiopia that called Eritrea. All fool Ethiopians would believe him because they have never believe Eritrea is an independent country. Most Ethiopian do not believe that they have lost over 500,000 young people in the war with Eritrea for the last 40 years. Wake up people Meles is one of the worst liar in East Africa. Ethiopians do not believe this guy who is rubbing Ethiopia for the last 20 years. He and his family have more money than the 80 millions of Ethiopian combined. He won’t retire in Ethiopia . He will move to his big mansion in Virginia after he finished rubbing Ethiopians money.

          • jonas-1923@hotmail.com April 21, 2012

            Awat
            You are entitled to your views, and there is nothing wrong with that and arguing on merits doesn’t make us enemies.

        • hayelom werede April 19, 2012

          Dear Aite jonas-1923@hotmail.com,

          I feel sorry for you, as you look you were not raised properly by your parents, if you have any. As Agame(Tigraway), you have all the right to defend for your Woyane regime, but urge you to stop interfering in our affairs(Eritrean affairs).

          • jonas-1923@hotmail.com April 21, 2012

            Haylom
            Try another name , your cover is blown, You and Tef are Assayass paid agents. And I know professional agent from a rigime supporter.

  • MID April 20, 2012

    No Answer to postman or messenger (Woyane).

    Directly to the sender or ‘beal guday’ (America)

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