DATE=6/5/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233414
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA FIGHTING (L-CQ)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FIGHTING CONTINUES ALONG THE BORDER BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA, ONE DAY AFTER ETHIOPIA AGREED TO A UNITED STATES-BACKED PEACE PLAN. V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS IN ADDIS ABABA REPORTS ETHIOPIA COMMITMENT TO PEACE HAS NOT SLOWED THE COUNTRY'S PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
TEXT:
/// SHOUTS AND SHOTS - ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER ///
YOUNG MILITIAMEN IN THE BACK OF AN OPEN TRUCK FIRE INTO THE AIR ON THEIR WAY TO THE BATTLE FRONT. THIRTY-FIVE KILOMETERS FROM THE BORDER, PEOPLE CHEER THE CONVOY OF LOCAL MILITIA AND GOVERNMENT TROOPS AS IT PASSES THROUGH DOWNTOWN ADIGRAT.
THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN ONE-HALF DOZEN FIREFIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA'S NORTHERN TIGRAY REGION OVER THE PAST WEEK. PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI SAYS FIGHTING HAS SPREAD TO THE BORDER TOWN OF ZALLAMBASA.
ACCEPTING THE U-S PEACE DEAL THURSDAY, PRIME MINISTER MELES RETAINED THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HIS COUNTRY AGAINST WHAT HE CALLS ERITREA'S UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION.
/// MILES ACT ///
WE WILL NOT TIE THE HANDS OF OUR ARMY IN THE HOPE THAT
SUCH ACTION WILL CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP IN THE PEACE PROCESS.
WE ARE NOT TURNING OUR BACK ON PEACE. WE ARE SIMPLY
SAYING WHILE WE PURSUE PEACE, IN THE MEANTIME, THE
ERITREANS ARE DAY-IN, DAY-OUT TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS OF
AGGRESSION ON ETHIOPIA.
/// END ACT ///
ETHIOPIA'S ARMY IS REINFORCING POSITIONS WITH MORE TROOPS AND MOBILE ROCKET LAUNCHERS AS PRIME MINISTER MELES ORDERED THE MILITARY TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES AGAINST ERITREAN ADVANCES.
THERE WAS NO CLEAR BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES WHEN ERITREA DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1993. ERITREA SAYS IT IS RECLAIMING TERRITORY. ETHIOPIA SAYS IT IS BEING INVADED.
WOUNDED FROM THE FIGHTING NEAR ZALLAMBASA HAVE BEEN MOVED FARTHER FROM THE FRONT TO THE TOWN OF MEKELLE, 120 KILOMETERS SOUTH. SURGEON GEBRE MICHAEL GEBRE KRISTOS HAS BEEN OPERATING ON PEOPLE INJURED BY BOMB SHRAPNEL AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE.
/// GEBRE MICHAEL ACT ///
THEY WERE INJURED BY BLAST INJURIES AND SHOTGUNS. SOME
OF THEM HAD BLAST INJURIES TO THE ABDOMEN. SOME OF THEM
HAD CONCUSSIONS. THEY MIGHT HAVE JUMPED TO ESCAPE FROM
THE EXPLOSIVES. OTHERWISE SOME HAVE BULLET INJURIES TO
THE ARM. SOME HAVE BULLET INJURIES TO THE LOWER
EXTREMITIES.
/// END ACT ///
TIGRAYAN MILITIAMAN ZEMEN CHIAL GEBREMEDHIN SAYS HE WAS ATTACKED ON PATROL NEAR THE BORDER TOWN OF DAMO.
/// ZEMEN ACT - IN TIGRANIAN - FADE UNDER ///
MR. ZEMEN SAYS THE ERITREANS CAME EARLY IN THE MORNING, KILLING
ONE MILITIAMAN AND WOUNDING SEVERAL OTHERS. HE SAYS HE IS GLAD
TO BE ALIVE AFTER BEING SHOT IN BOTH LEGS. LIKE MANY VETERANS OF
THE LONG WAR AGAINST MARXIST DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILLE MARIAM, MR.
ZEMEN HAS BEEN CALLED BACK TO ACTIVE DUTY TO DEFEND ETHIOPIA
AGAINST ERITREAN TROOPS WHO WERE ONCE HIS ALLIES.
PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS HE IS MOBILIZING ALL FORMER FIGHTERS TO SERVE ALONGSIDE REGULAR GOVERNMENTS TROOPS.
SERVICEMAN BELAI WEDAJE SAYS HE WAS SHOT NEAR THE TOWN OF DALGEDA.
/// OPT // BELAI ACT - IN AMHARIC - FADE UNDER ///
MR. BELAI SAYS HE WAS HIT IN THE GUT WITH BOMB
SHRAPNEL AND SHOT TWICE IN THE CHEST. HE SAYS ERITREANS CAME
FIRST TO ATTACK THE LOCAL MILITIA THEN, MR. BELAI SAYS, THEY
STARTED FIGHTING THE ARMY. AFTER A NIGHT OF SHELLING AND
COUNTER-ATTACKS, ETHIOPIA'S ARMY RECAPTURED DALGEDA, DRIVING THE
ERITREANS FARTHER NORTH.
PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS HE HAS NOT SPOKEN WITH ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI SINCE THE CONFLICT BEGAN EARLY LAST MONTH. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/PCF /MMK
05-Jun-98 7:23 AM EDT (1123 UTC)
NNNNSource: Voice of America