The government said it had bombed Eritrea's main military training camp at Sawa in the northwest of the country, as well as two military targets in the south of Eritrea.

Eritrea said the bombing raids in the south struck two towns and killed two children.

Ethiopia said around 50,000 Eritrean conscripts were awaiting military training at Sawa, which lies around 60 km (40 miles) north of Eritrea's western border town of Tesenaye and 50 km from the Sudanese border.

``The air attack caused heavy damage to this strategic military institution and conscripts awaiting training,'' said Ethiopian government spokeswoman Selome Taddesse, without giving details of any casualties.

The Horn of Africa nations have been at war over their contested border for nearly a year. After a wave of air attacks last June, when Ethiopia bombed Asmara and Eritrea bombed the northern Ethiopian towns of Mekele and Adigrat, the two sides agreed an air moratorium.

This was broken when fresh fighting broke out in February, but until now air support had been restricted to frontline areas.

There was no immediate reaction from Eritrea to the reports of the Sawa bombing. But earlier a spokesman for Eritrea's foreign ministry said two children died in a midday air attack on the town of Adi Keih, around 100 km south of the capital and around 60 km from the disputed border town of Zalambessa.

He said the town of Mendefera, 55 km south of Asmara, was bombed at around the same time but there were no reports of casualties.

Ethiopia said it had only bombed ``military targets.''

``Ethiopia has never in the past and never will in the future target civilians,'' Selome said.

The border war is believed to have cost tens of thousands of lives. Both sides say they accept a peace plan drawn up by the Organisation of African Unity, but differ in their interpretations of the plan.

Ethiopia said Eritrea was training new conscripts to compensate for battlefield losses.

``This latest... round of training that was in preparation is a desperate attempt to compensate for the great numbers of Eritrean troops that have been lost, wounded or captured,'' Selome said in a statement.

``Such intensive and ongoing military preparations and training are clear evidence of (Eritrean) President Isayas' insincerity in accepting the OAU peace proposals,'' she said.

Ethiopian state television showed aerial shots of Sawa with smoke billowing from the bomb sites and Ethiopian planes criss-crossing the sky.

According to Addis Ababa, the various fronts of the war between the neighbouring states had been relatively calm for almost two weeks.

Since May last year the two countries have fought over terriories near their common border.

The representatives, who also celebrated Easter with the army, visited Eritrea's much boasted strongholds which were smashed by the Ethiopian Army in just four-days combat.

"The resounding victory at Badme has boosted our confidence in the ability of our Defence Forces," a representative said.

Meanwhile, a fact finding team dispatched to the Badme-Shiraro locality has confirmed that four churches were burned and the property of 13 others looted by the invading Eritrean troops.

The five-men team, drawn from the planning, education, water, mine and energy as well as urban development bureaux of Tigray State and from the Makalle University college made a three day visit to the locality beginning last April 6.

A report compiled by the team also indicated that the thatched and corrugated houses of over 1,800 farmers of the town's environs were completely burned with all the property in them following the heavy artillery shelling on the town for six times. It was also disclosed that three schools, two health establishments as well as a veterinary clinic were completely destroyed and various machinery and property valued at 26 million Birr looted.

Team leader Haylay Hadgu said the visit did not include the Selam Kebele and other localities heavily mined by the invaders. According to Ato Haylay, the damages caused to the Tahtay Adiyabo locality are extremely heavy.

At the 3985th meeting of the Security Council, held on 27 February 1999 in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "The situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia", the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

The Security Council reaffirms its resolutions 1177 (1998) of 26 June 1998, 1226 (1999) of 29 January 1999 and 1227 (1999) of 10 February 1999 which called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to refrain from armed conflict and to accept and implement the Framework Agreement as approved by the Central Organ Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution on 17 December 1998 (S/1998/1223, annex).

The Security Council demands an immediate halt to all hostilities and calls on the parties to refrain from the further use of force.

The Security Council welcomes the acceptance by Eritrea at the Head of State level of the OAU Framework Agreement and recalls the prior acceptance of the Agreement by Ethiopia. The OAU Framework Agreement remains a viable and sound basis for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Security Council reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The Security Council expresses its willingness to consider all appropriate support to implement a peace agreement between the two parties.

The Security Council expresses its continuing support for the efforts of the OAU, the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy, Ambassador Sahnoun, and concerned Member States to find a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.

The Security Council remains actively seized of the matter.

Nairobi - Eritrea has said it is examining a renewed ceasefire proposal by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. In an interview with Voice of America radio broadcast on Wednesday, Meles said Ethiopia would offer a ceasefire in its border dispute with Eritrea if Asmara promised to pull out of Ethiopian territory, rather than insisting on prior troop withdrawal.

"We are not saying they have to withdraw first before there is a ceasefire", Meles said. "I mean, they cannot withdraw without a ceasefire. How do you implement that?"

A spokesman at the Eritrean embassy in Nairobi told IRIN on Wednesday Asmara was still examining Meles' statement and it would be premature to comment. "We are trying to study it, and really dissect it, so it is too early to react", he said.

Meles' statement came after the UN Security Council on Tuesday reiterated its concern at the ongoing conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and expressed strong support for new initiatives to bring a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.

Council members welcomed a decision by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to send his special envoy, Mohamed Sahnoun, to support the OAU's peace efforts.

Meanwhile, an OAU delegation that was expected to travel to the Eritrean capital Asmara on Tuesday postponed its mission because of "sudden calendar hitches", according to a Pan African News Agency report. No new date has been set for the mission.

Ethiopia accepted an OAU peace plan last November and Eritrea in February of this year but the countries interpret it differently and neither side has implemented it.

A spokesman for the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said the children died in a midday air attack on the town of Adi Keih, around 100 km (60 miles) south of the capital and around 60 km from the disputed border town of Zalambessa.

He said the town of Mendefera, 55 km south of Asmara, was bombed at around the same time but there were no reports of casualties.

Ethiopian government spokeswoman Selome Taddesse said: ``What has been bombed are military targets near the two towns.''

``Ethiopia has never in the past and never will in the future target civilians,'' she said.

The Horn of Africa nations have been at war over their contested border for nearly a year.

After a wave of air attacks last June, when Ethiopia bombed Asmara and Eritrea bombed the northern Ethiopian towns of Mekele and Adigrat, the two sides agreed an air moratorium.

DATE=4/15/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43119
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA OPPOSITION
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA

INTRO:  THE PRESIDENT OF ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN ARE 
TRYING TO OVERTHROW HIS GOVERNMENT.  BUT V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS 
REPORTS ETHIOPIA SAYS IT IS GIVING ONLY POLITICAL SUPPORT TO 
ERITREAN OPPOSITION GROUPS.  

TEXT:  THE BORDER WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA HAS NOW SPREAD
BEYOND THEIR BORDERS.  

ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI SAYS ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN ARE 
RECRUITING ERITREAN OPPOSITION GROUPS TO MOVE AGAINST HIM.  HE 
SAYS IT IS A CAMPAIGN THAT IS BOUND TO FAIL BECAUSE ETHIOPIA'S 
JEALOUSY OF ERITREAN FIGHTERS -- KNOWN AS THE E-P-L-F -- HAS ONLY
GIVEN THE PEOPLE OF ERITREA MORE REASON TO STAND AGAINST 
ETHIOPIA.

PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS THE PLOT TO TOPPLE HIS GOVERNMENT IS FUELED
BY ETHIOPIA'S INTIMIDATION OF ERITREANS WHO STILL LIVE IN 
ETHIOPIA.

                      ///  ISAYAS ACT  /// 

         THEY WERE TRYING TO EDUCATE THEM TO WORK WITH WHAT THEY 
         CALL OPPOSITION GROUPS AND FIGHT THE GOVERNMENT IN 
         ASMARA.  AND WHAT THEY WERE TELLING THEM IS VERY CLEAR 
         NOW THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED THE MESSAGE TO EVERYONE ELSE.
         THEY WERE TELLING THEM THAT E-P-L-F HAS CULTIVATED INTO 
         YOUR MINDS THAT YOU ARE SUPERIOR, THAT YOU ARE 
         INVINCIBLE, THAT YOU ARE THIS AND THAT.  AND WHAT THEY 
         WANTED TO DO WAS TO TELL THESE PEOPLE, YOU ARE  NOT  
         INVINCIBLE, YOU ARE  NOT  SUPERIOR, YOU CAN BE TAMED, 
         YOU CAN BE HUMILIATED, YOU CAN BE DEHUMANIZED, YOU CAN 
         BE DEFEATED.  THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO TELL, AND 
         EVERY FAMILY AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THIS IS GOING TO 
         HAPPEN TO THEM. 

                        ///  END ACT  ///

PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS SUDAN IS SPONSORING MILITARY STRIKES BY A 
GROUP KNOWN AS THE ERITREAN ISLAMIC JIHAD.  HE SAYS SUDAN AND 
ETHIOPIA ARE ALSO BEHIND A NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE BASED IN 
KHARTOUM.

THIS ALLIANCE IS LED BY A LONG-TIME RIVAL OF PRESIDENT ISAYAS, 
THE HEAD OF THE ERITREAN LIBERATION FRONT, ABDULA IDRISS.  
HISTORIAN PATRICK GILKES SAYS IT IS A POTENTIALLY POTENT ALLIANCE
THAT IS GETTING BIGGER.

                      ///  GILKES ACT  ///

         THAT HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, 
         PARTLY WITH THE ACTIVE SUPPORT OF ETHIOPIA, BRINGING 
         TOGETHER A TOTAL OF TEN ERITREAN OPPOSITION 
         ORGANIZATIONS IN A SINGLE BROADER ALLIANCE. THIS 
         ALLIANCE BRINGS TOGETHER MOST OF THE OPPOSITION TO THE 
         PEOPLE'S FRONT FOR DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE IN ERITREA, 
         INCLUDING ALMOST ALL OF THE MUSLIM GROUPS THAT ARE 
         OPERATIVE IN ERITREAN POLITICS.

                        ///  END ACT  ///

MR. GILKES SAYS THE ALLIANCE INCLUDES ETHNIC KUNAMA FROM THE 
BORDER AREAS UNDER DISPUTE IN THE ETHIOPIAN / ERITREAN WAR.  IT 
ALSO INVOLVES SMALLER MARXIST GROUPS BASED IN ETHIOPIA'S NORTHERN
TIGRAY PROVINCE, HOME TO ETHIOPIA'S PRIME MINISTER, MELES ZENAWI.

PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS ETHIOPIA SUPPORTS POLTICAL CHANGE IN 
ERITREA BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO GREATER 
REGIONAL STABILITY.  BUT THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS ETHIOPIA IS  NOT
TRYING TO GET RID OF PRESIDENT ISAYAS BY FORCE.

                     ///  MELES ACT ONE  ///

         I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN SAY, ENCOURAGING AND 
         AIDING AND ABETTING.  I DON'T THINK ITS RIGHT FOR 
         ANYBODY TO INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF ANOTHER 
         COUNTRY.  THAT DOES  NOT  MEAN A COUNTRY  CANNOT  HAVE A
         VIEW, AND OPINION AS TO WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS  NOT  
         GOOD. WE HAVE AN OPINION AS TO WHAT TYPE OF POLITICAL 
         SYSTEM WOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS REGIONAL STABILITY AND 
         TO THE EXTENT THAT IT CAN MATERIALIZE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY
         AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO IT 
         POLITICALLY, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT 
         POLITICALLY.

                        ///  END ACT  ///

ETHIOPIAN AND SUDANESE SUPPORT FOR ERITREAN DISSIDENTS IS A 
DEPARTURE FROM THE PREVIOUSLY CHILLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO 
COUNTRIES.  RELATIONS HAVE BEEN TENSE SINCE AN ATTEMPT TO 
ASSASSINATE EGYPT'S PRESIDENT IN THE ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL WHICH IS 
BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT BY PEOPLE BASED IN SUDAN.

PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS THERE HAS BEEN  NO  GREAT 
RECONCILIATION BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE 
WAR WITH ERITREA, HE SAYS IT IS ONLY NATURAL TO RECONSIDER 
REGIONAL RELATIONS.

                     ///  MELES ACT TWO  ///

         PUNCH MY NOSE, I PUNCH YOUR NOSE TOO.  HERE WE HAD A 
         RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS SOUR WITH THE SUDAN BEING 
         COUNTERPOSED TO A RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS, SHALL WE SAY, 
         CLOSE BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA.  WHEN YOU REMOVE 
         THIS GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND IT BECOMES EVEN MORE SOUR, 
         THE PROFILE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS SOUR BECOMES 
         DIFFERENT. 

                        ///  END ACT  ///

MILITARY OBSERVERS ESTIMATE ERITREAN DISSIDENTS IN SUDAN HAVE 
MAYBE THREE-THOUSAND FIGHTERS.  THAT IS  NO  MATCH FOR THE 200- 
THOUSAND THAT ERITREA HAS CALLED UP FOR ITS WAR AGAINST ETHIOPIA.

PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS BOTH ETHIOPIA AND SUDAN REALIZE THEIR 
SUPPORT FOR ERITREAN OPPONENTS WILL  NOT  CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT 
IN ASMARA OVERNIGHT. 

                    ///  MELES ACT THREE  ///

         WE DO  NOT  OVERESTIMATE THE CAPACITY OF SUDAN OR 
         ETHIOPIA TO INFLUENCE INTERNAL POLITICS IN ERITREA.  
         ERITREAN POLITICS WILL GO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER PRIMARILY 
         BECAUSE OF INTERNAL REASONS  NOT  BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL 
         REASONS. WE UNDERSTAND THE LIMITS OF POSTURING AND 
         MEETINGS AND ALL THE REST. 

                        ///  END ACT  ///

AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OF FIGHTING, PRIME MINISTER MELES AND 
PRESIDENT ISAYAS APPEAR TO HAVE RALLIED THEIR NATIONS BEHIND THIS
WAR, BOTH MEN HOPING THE OTHER LOSES DOMESTIC SUPPORT FIRST.  
(SIGNED)

NEB/SKS/JWH

15-Apr-99 8:30 AM EDT (1230 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America

The television, monitored in Tunis, said all the countries were represented by their heads of states with the exception of Niger, whose president was overthrown and assassinated last week. Niger was represented by its Prime Minister Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, who was reappointed by the new military junta.

The leaders were the first heads of states to fly to the Libyan airport of Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli, since a U.N. ban on flights to and from Libya was suspended last week.

The embargo was lifted after Tripoli handed over two suspects in the Lockerbie bombing for trial in the Netherlands.

It was the third summit of the grouping set up in 1997. The grouping, chaired by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, aims to boost economic cooperation and establish closer security ties in the region.

Tunisian and Egyptian representatives were to attend the summit as observers.