Ethiopia's Fleet Is For SaleTuesday, September 17, 1996 ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Ethiopia -- landlocked since Eritrea won independence -- put its navy up for auction Monday. Most of the 16 naval vessels are anchored in the Horn of Africa port of Djibouti, a spokesman at Ethiopia's Defense Ministry said. ``The tender opened this afternoon. All governments or private individuals have submitted their bids,'' said Commodore Jininu Eshetu. Eritrea, which gained the coastline along with its independence in 1993, likely to win the bid. Djibouti -- a former French port-colony with no navy -- also submitted an offer. Eshetu said 12 of the 16 vessels on sale were Swedish-made, including a 61-yard minesweeper and three missile launchers. The remainder are Russian-built. After Eritrean independence, most of the Ethiopian fleet fled to Yemen and later to Djibouti to avoid capture. |