28 November 2007
Addis Ababa — Ethiopia has no plans for another round of fighting with arch-foe Eritrea over the border stalemate, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said three days ahead of the Border Commission deadline for a physical demarcation.
Meles said however that Ethiopia would crush any attempt on the part of Eritrea to invade.
A November 30 deadline set by an independent border commission has ruled that the Horn of African neighbors physically mark their 1000km long disputed frontier.
"Ethiopia has no reason to launch another war against Eritrea. Our intention has always been to resolve all outstanding border problems with Eritrea through peaceful means," Meles told parliament.
"Should Eritrea launch another war, we will make certain that Asmara would never, ever dream of even entertaining or thinking about war again," he said.
Meles said Eritrea was using rebels in Somalia to distract Ethiopia for an invasion from the north.
"Eritrea's intention was that when rebels and terrorists it supports penetrate into Ethiopian territory from Somalia and create confusion, it was planning to invade the country from the north," he said.
"But we have crushed the rebel groups who were fighting a proxy war for Eritrea and as such its plan to invade us fizzled out." The commission was set up by a peace deal ending a 1998-2000 border war killing some 70,000 people.
Ethiopia initially rejected the ruling, but now says it accepts it but wants more talks with Eritrea. Asmara rejects calls for dialogue, saying it wants full implementation.
Last November, the commission said it was fed up by the lack of progress with the border and gave both nations one year to make moves to mark the frontier or it would fix it on maps.
Meles also acknowledged that his troops cannot withdraw from the conflict in Somalia.
Meles said he had expected to withdraw his soldiers earlier this, after Islamists had been driven out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
But he said divisions within the Somali government had left it unable to replace the Ethiopians, while not enough peacekeepers had arrived.
"Having done the main work, we had the belief and expectations that a situation would be created for us to be able to withdraw," Meles told MPs.
"However, this belief and expectations could not be met according to our plan."
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let me repeat aigaforums wow! about the premiers speech.wow!meles is becoming more similar to mengstu in his last days !wow bravado speeches!!!