ERITREA ALLEGED ATTACK ON ASSAB

>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=VuM8qCDGGA0

(3 Jun 2000) English/Nat • XFA • Three days after Ethiopia announced its two year war with Eritrea was over, Eritrea says its largest port has been attacked. • • According to the Eritreans, Ethiopian forces launched their attack against the strategic Red Sea port of Assab early on Saturday. • • Ethiopia, which is landlocked, had access to Assab port before hostilities broke out two years ago. • • Eritrea had prepared for a possible attack on its most strategic and largest port, Assab in the far west, moving arms and troops there earlier this week. • • On Saturday Eritrea reported that the port was under attack and called for help from the international community. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • Now they are invading or they have launched a clear invasion against Eritrea so Eritrea is calling for the international community, Eritrea is calling for immediate action now, Eritrea is calling for sanctions to be imposed on Ethiopia. This is a clear act of invasion. • SUPER CAPTION: Eritrean Presidential Spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel • • Ethiopia said the war was over on Wednesday after it retook land it said Eritrea had occupied in 1998 and which originally sparked off the war. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • We will fight our own war but the international community must impose economic sanctions and other sanctions on Ethiopia, it must lift its arms embargo on Eritrea. • SUPER CAPTION: Eritrean Presidential Spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel • • Strategically Assab is Ethiopia's prime target in all out war with Eritrea. • • When fighting broke out in May 1998 Eritrea stopped Ethiopia from using Assab, forcing it to rely on Djibouti's port. • • When hunger struck in eastern Ethiopia earlier this year Eritrea said it would allow food aid to go through the port and into Ethiopia but Ethiopia refused. • • Ethiopia says it's ready to withdraw from land it acknowledges if its neighbour joins in a cease-fire. • • The alleged attack on Assab comes as indirect peace talks in Algeria try to work out a plan for Ethiopia's withdrawal from Eritrea. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

#############################

New on site