Addis Ababa — UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is due in Addis Ababa Tuesday night on a three-day visit.

During his stay, Annan will hold talks with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and address a major international conference on development and HIV/AIDS in Africa, which opened Sunday in the Ethiopian capital.

Annan, who is visiting Ethiopia from an earlier working visit to west Africa, including Sierra Leone, will also meet with officials of the UN Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea or UNMEE, which is now in the process of deploying a total of 4,200 observers and peacekeepers to monitor a peace accord the two countries signed in June.

The secretary-general's talks with Meles and other Ethiopian officials will centre on UNMEE, according to informed sources.

The human rights of tens of thousands of Ethiopians, which Addis Ababa alleged continue to be incarcerated in Eritrean jails and detention camps, would also be discussed.

Ethiopia insists the fate of its citizens in Eritrea should be decided first before any meaningful negotiated efforts are made as a follow-up to the cessation of hostilities agreement towards a comprehensive settlement of the border dispute.

Annan is scheduled to visit the UNMEE office in Addis Ababa Wednesday morning where he will be briefed on the progress of the mission.

The secretary-general will address Thursday address the 2nd African Development Forum, which has been deliberating on the theme - "AIDS: The Greatest Leadership Challenge."

The gathering will be highlighting on the final day of its deliberations a special forum of African leaders to be kicked off by Annan.

The presidents of Botswana, Rwanda and Uganda, the vice-president of Malawi and the prime ministers of Ethiopia, Chad, Namibia and Senegal are among those expected to address the special forum.

Annan is scheduled to leave Addis Ababa for Asmara Friday for talks with Eritrean President Issaias Afworki.