ASMARA, July 13 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Eritreans deported from Ethiopia arrived in the southern Eritrean town of Mendefera on Monday to a rapturous reception, witnesses said.

A total of 420 were expelled and the Eritrean government says 7,000 of its citizens have now been deported from Ethiopia. Ethiopia in turn accuses Eritrea of deporting some 4,000 of its citizens.

The Horn of Africa neighbours have been locked in a border dispute for over two months in which hundreds have died. There have been no reports of significant fighting since mid-June but both sides have built heavy reinforcements along the border.

The Eritrean Foreign Ministry said on Monday that 1,400 Eritreans had been arrested in Addis Ababa in the last three days, among whom are members of the families of 1,500 Eritrean businessmen deported in recent weeks.

In a statement the foreign ministry said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had been denied access to those arrested in the Ethiopian capital.

But the ICRC in Nairobi refuted this claim and said it had visited around 750 detainees at three locations in Addis Ababa.

``We have had access but we can't verify the Eritrean figure,'' said ICRC spokeswoman Nina Galbe.

She said the organisation had not yet been able to negotiate access to Ethiopian detainees in Eritrea.

The Eritrean government has asked the international community for help in supportng the deportees, many of whom had to leave their possessions behind in Ethiopia.

Eritrea has a strict self-reliance policy but said it underestimated the demand on its resources, exacerbated by the needs of deportees and of over 100,000 people displaced because of fighting.

Ethiopia denies agreeing to TV debate with Eritrea

10:46 a.m. Jul 14, 1998 Eastern

ADDIS ABABA, July 14 (Reuters) - Ethiopia on Tuesday denied that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had agreed to hold a televised debate with Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki.

``This is an outright lie,'' government spokeswoman Selome Taddesse told reporters. ``The Prime Minister has not been asked to (take part in) such a debate.''

Hundreds died between May 6 and June 11 when a border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea flared into violence.

There have been no serious clashes reported since then, but the dispute itself remains unresolved and both sides have reinforced their border positions during the lull.

Afewerki at the weekend told Qatar Television he was ready to talk to Meles in a television link-up planned for July 21.

``If the option left is to hold debate via Qatari TV, I have no objection,'' Afewerki replied when told that Meles had already consented.

But Selome said the Qatar television station had asked only for an interview with Meles which was now cancelled. The station would have to make a public apology first if it wanted to reschedule the interview, she added.

Selome said Ethiopia's position had been made very clear from the outset.

``For any kind of talks to take place between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the invading forces have to withdraw from occupied territory and the previous administration should be put back in place,'' she said.

Both sides accuse the other of detention, maltreatment and expulsion of citizens living in other's country.

Ethiopia and Eritrea were considered firm allies prior to the conflict. Rebel movements in both countries joined forces to defeat Mengistu Haile Mariam in May 1991 and Eritrea formally gained independence two years later.

Eritrean president to Kenya for conflict talks

01:11 p.m Jul 15, 1998 Eastern By David Fox

NAIROBI, July 15 (Reuters) - Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki will visit Kenya in the next few days for talks with government officials on ways to end his country's now stalemated conflict with Ethiopia, officials said on Wednesday.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Bonaya Godana told a news briefing that Afewerki's trip -- following Monday's visit to Nairobi by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi -- aimed to reinforce international efforts to find a solution to the conflict rather than suggest new initiatives.

``We firmly believe that not withstanding the rejection (of a U.S/Rwandan peace plan) by one of the parties ... that most of the elements are acceptable to both,'' Godana said.

He was referring to the plan brokered by Washington and Kigali which was rejected by Eritrea because of a clause that it unconditionally withdraws from contested territories to positions held before May 6 when the conflict began.

Godana said Moi, as East Africa's elder statesman, was using his authority to try to get both Ethiopia and Eritrea to realise the damage the conflict was doing to both sides.

But he admitted it was not an easy task as any concession could be seen as political weakness by their populations.

``Of course they both have local constituencies, domestic constituencies which they would have to carry along in terms of withdrawing or in terms of abandoning the areas which are in contest,'' he said.

``President Moi has the respect of both leaders and we thought that by inviting them here, to neutral ground, we could perhaps give them an advantage.''

Godana warned, however, that the Horn of Africa -- scene of some of Africa's bloodiest and longest wars over the past few decades -- was still not settled enough for the conflict not to have repercussions.

``The conflict is definitely dangerous. Full-scale war between the two countries would have colossal, disastrous consequences for the entire region,'' he said.

``Don't forget there are still within the countries involved forces of disintegration in terms of secessionist groups, in terms of fundamentalist groups ... and so on.

``If you add to the confusion in one or two neighbouring states then really, anyone can guess the potential human disaster.''

He said, however, that both sides had shown great maturity in trying to keep their differences a private affair.

``I think both governments understand this and in terms of regional consequences both countries have been very committed to ensure their own dispute does not cast any negative cloud over others, such as the peace process in Sudan.''

Analysts have said that Washington's involvement stems from a desire to ensure that neither Ethiopia and Eritrea -- both staunch U.S. allies -- do not seek support from Sudan, whose Islamic government it considers hostile.

The border conflict erupted on May 6 and escalated last month with both sides launching bombing raids on each other's cities.

While the conflict has scaled down in the past fortnight, both sides are now engaged in a war of words with each accusing the other of mistreating its nationals.

Ethiopia said on Wednesday that around 60 of its nationals had died of asphyxiation in the Eritrean Red Sea port of Assab after being locked in an unventilated cargo container.

Government spokeswoman Selome Taddesse told reporters she had learnt about the incident from Ethiopians who were deported from Assab via Djibouti and arrived home at the weekend.

There was no independent confirmation of Ethiopia's claim.

Eritrea, in turn, said over 600 of its nationals were dumped by Ethiopian officials on Wednesday morning at the no-man's land separating the opposing armies at the southern front near Assab.

The deportees, including a large number of women and children had to walk four km (2.5 miles) in searing heat, the state-owned Eritrean News Agency said in a statement.

Eritrea took independence from Ethiopia after a referendum in 1993 following a 30-year guerrilla war and after helping to overthrow former Ethiopian military ruler Haile Mengistu Mariam.