17 June 1998
ASMARA, June 17 (Reuters) - Four African presidents will visit Ethiopia and Eritrea this week to try to resolve a border conflict that Ethiopia says is worsening by the day.
As Ethiopia moved more militia toward the border with its Horn of Africa neighbour on Wednesday, its diplomats issued a grim warning days before the African leaders' visit.
"The crisis between Ethiopia and Eritrea, far from having shown any improvement, is in fact worsening by the day," Ethiopia said in a statement through its United Nations mission in New York.
"It is important therefore for the international community to convey a clear message to the Eritrean authorities that the only remaining opportunity for averting disaster is for both parties to co-operate with the facilitators and to accept and implement the proposal made by the same," the statement said.
An Eritrean official and Western diplomats said on Wednesday they expected only limited success from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) mission since neither side had backed down from its position.
Hundreds have died in the undeclared war fought on three fronts with planes and thousands of troops. Both sides accuse the other of territorial violations.
"Unless the Ethiopian position changes, the efforts of our government and those of the OAU delegation will be limited," said Eritrean presidential adviser Yemane Ghebremeskel.
One senior Western diplomat said: "Heads of state do not go into detail. What this process needs is someone who is concerned about the daily issues of this crisis. I am not so optimistic."
The conflict, brewing since May, boiled over on June 5 when both countries launched tit-for-tat air raids, though there have been no reports of significant fighting since last Thursday.
In the north Ethiopian town of Inda Silase, witnesses said they saw a column of up to 70 Ethiopian militiamen heading toward the front line on foot and dressed in rag-tag outfits of T-shirts, torn trousers and a mix of military dress.
"We're going towards Badme. We're moving towards the front line," one militiaman told Reuters. "We want the Eritreans out of our land."
Kiros Bitew, administrator of Ethiopia's northwestern province of Tigray, told Reuters on Wednesday he was confident of success if negotiations failed.
"We will wait until all parties within the international community...have done their best to solve this problem through a negotiated settlement," he said.
"If that is not possible, you'll see what will happen. We will show them. We are 100 percent confident to win this war," Bitew added.
Ethiopian and Eritrean officials said the presidential visit would begin in Ethiopia on Thursday and go to Eritrea on Friday.
The delegation comprises the presidents of Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Rwanda and Zimbabwe as well as OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said this week the OAU mission would not replace a U.S.-Rwanda initiative.
But Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki, who has called for face-to-face talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, says the U.S.-Rwanda package is dead.
Diplomats say Eritrea objects to a clause in the U.S.-Rwanda plan calling on it to withdraw to positions it held before the start of hostilities on May 6.
In reference to the U.S.-Rwanda package, Eritrean foreign ministry official Andamichael Kashai, told Reuters: "If the OAU delegation brings a dead package, there will be no solution."
Eritrean officials see the visit as a crucial test for the credibility of the OAU, which has a modest history of success in resolving African conflicts despite decades of trying.
Meanwhile, the U.N. said on Wednesday two assessment teams will travel to Ethiopia's border areas on Thursday to assess the relief needs of refugees caught up in the conflict.