Unofficial Transcript

Interviewer: Since they launched a new offensive against Eritrean positions on the so-called western front of their disputed border, Ethiopia has been claiming great successes. The latest of which, as we’ve heard, was the capture of the strategically important town of Barentu. Well our correspondent Alex Last is in the Eritrean capital of Asmara. On the line I asked him what exactly the Eritrans were saying about the loss of Barentu.

Alex Last: They said their forces were pulling out, that they evacuated the town before they actually left Barentu. It looks like most people are heading to the east toward the Eritrean town of Akordat and on to Keren. There is an estimated 550,000 people who are now fleeing the Ethiopian advance in western Eritrea.

Question: This must come as a pretty big blow to the Eritreans?

Alex Last: Its an enormous blow. The news was greeted with absolute shock here. The local rumors had always been that things were going to change and go in favor of the Eritreans at some point. But no, there was a fierce fight at Barentu yesterday afternoon, and the Eritreans decided to pull out. They may try and dig in temporary positions around the town of Akordat to give people more chance to flee further to the east, but the situation is very bad indeed.

Question: What is the real significance of Barentu, because it is actually beyond the line of disputed territory isn’t it?

Alex Last: This advance has gone hundreds of kilometers into clearly undisputed Eritrean territory. Barentu itself is the regional capital of Gash-Barka region, which is the breadbasket area for Eritrea. That in itself is very significant especially in the long term. In terms of military strategy, the road going to Barentu was the last supply line for the western army. Now, basically it is flat for the Ethiopians until they reach the other major Eritrean town of Akordat, whose population is around 20,000, and that is also swollen by refugees. They will also look set to leave. So, no, Barentu is a massive achievement

Interviewer:That’s our correspondent Alex Last in Asmara

Ethiopia – Interview with the Prime Minister

Interviewer:Well while all this will have gone down well in Ethiopia, the response of the international community to the latest round of hostilities has been to impose an arms embargo on both sides. In Addis Abeba, the BBCs Rageh Omar asked Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi if there was a danger now that they would be seen as the aggressors.

Meles Zenawi: Well I think people have to distinguish between a political objective and military tactics. As far our political objective is concerned its very clear. We are fighting to kick out the invader lock, stock, and barrel, and secure our territory. That objective has not changed. That objective will not changed. Now to achieve this political objective we have been engaged in military operations. And we do not share the opinion of some military experts who suggest that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. On the contrary it may be that the indirect route is the shortest route.

Question: The situation around the strategically important western Eritrean town of Barentu is enormously important strategically in the tide of this conflict isn’t it?

Meles Zenawi: Well, as a matter of fact, our forces are in full control of Barentu now. This morning the fighting in that part of the front has subsided. The remnants of the Eritrean troops in the area are moving in the direction of Akordat.

Question: But this is very important strategically isn’t it because it opens up all the supply lines deeper into Eritrea?

Meles Zenawi: It is a very important target of our second phase of the operation. In completing the battles around Barentu we have completed the second phase of our operations. It is going very well according to our plans.