As if the bombing of a school in Mekele, killing some 50 persons and wounding 140 more on June 6 was not enough, Eritrean helicopters and jet attacked the town of Adi-Grat on June 11, killing 4 persons and wounding 30 more. It has been confirmed by eyewitnesses and foreign observers in Adi-Grat, including the international press, like in Mekele, the cruelest weapons, internationally forbidden cluster bombs were used on a civilian population.
Contrary to the truth, the Eritrean government is trying to cheat the international community as usual. On June 12, 1998 the Erirtean News Agency Daily update said, "Eritrean Air force pilots bombed military targets in Adi-Grat. . . " . What a pity! The world is too small nowadays to cheat and communication is very fast . All the atrocities are on TV screens around the world.
The bombings were an act of desperation and cowardice from a regime that has neither humanity nor an elementary sense of morality. The merciless bombing of the civlian population of Adi-Grat was taken because of a humiliating military defeat it suffered at Badme and Bure (Assab) fronts.
This can be contrasted sharply with the action of the Ethiopian Air Force over Asmara which strictly targeted with deadly accuracy a military facility ie, an Air force base. The Eritrean leadership is only well aware of what it lost as a result of those successful air operations.
President Isayas, as good as his words, is trying to instill terror on the civilian population of Ethiopia. But terrorism has never paid off. These desperate moves by the Eritrean leadership reflect a sign of weakness rather than strength. It doesn't take a genius to understand the logic behind these wanton and barbaric actions, which should be condemned by the international community, for they are war crimes under international law.
While bombing civilian targets with impunity, the Eritrean authorities including the President of Eritrea are alleging that the Ethiopian Government is "looking all over the place" to hire mercenary pilots for its Air force. We would like to point out that this is yet another baseless allegation coming out of the Eritrean lie machine. The Ethiopia Air force which has a long and valiant history does not need any foreign mercenaries to fulfill its noble mission. And it should be clearto every body that, this false allegation of the Eritrean authorities is a smoke screen to hide their motive and endeavor to recruit mercenaries for their so called Air Force whose sole mission is to kill and maim school children and other innocent civilians.
June 13, 1998
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Press Inf. & Documentation G/Directorate
P.O.Box 393
Tel. 517345
Fax 514300
E-mail MFA.Addis@telecom.net.et