- The government of Eritrea is not prepared to hold dialogue with the neighbouring Djibouti to resolve the deadly frontier dispute. Recent clashes between the two countries has left at least nine Djibouti soldiers dead.
In an official statement, the Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki ruled out any dialogue with Djibouti over the issue. During a telephone conversation with President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, the Eritrean leader said his country would "by no means engage in any diplomatic" activity with Djibouti.
"It has no desire whatsoever to be dragged into the current diplomatic and media tit-for-tat designed to further aggravate the fabricated problem," the statement said.
In a bid to nail the deadly border clashes, President Saleh had also spoken to both Mr Assaias and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. He urged the two leaders to solve their problem "through dialogue" and avoid causing further threats to peace and security in the already volatile region.
Djibouti and Eritrea last week renewed their dispute over ownership of Ras Doumeira promontory on the shores of the Red Sea. The two sides clashed over the issue in 1996 and 1999.
While the UN Security Council and the Arab League urged Eritrea to cease aggression against Djibouti, French military confirmed providing support - logistics, medial and intelligency service - to the Djiboutian army.
French Ministry of Defence said its troops have not been involved in the fighting with Eritrean forces, although they have provided aerial surveillance of the border, informing Djiboutian army about the movements of enemy troops.
As conflict rages, French decided to beef up military presence in Djibouti and even plans to establish mobile military bases close to the Eritrean boder so that Eritrean forces would not advance into Djibouti.
The US government also blamed Eritrea for causing a "military agression" in its border with the small Horn of African country. Like Franch, the US also gets large military basis in Djibouti.
Asmara has denied causing military aggression against Djibouti, describing the allegations as "baseless and mendacious statements."
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español