Yemen to mediate between Ethiopia, Eritrea
Dec 29, 2005 (ADEN, Yemen) — Yemen has offered to mediate to ease escalating tensions between the neighbouring east African countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea, the SABA official news agency reported Thursday.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh “announced Yemen’s readiness to mediate between the two countries, or play any role that might help to ease tension and serve regional stability,” he was quoted as saying as leaders of the Sanaa Forum met for a two-day summit.
He called upon Eritrea and Ethiopia to use dialogue to settle their disputes “in order to avoid wasting their energy and capabilities,” at the opening session of the two-day summit on Wednesday.
The United Nations has threatened Ethiopia and Eritrea with sanctions if they did not withdraw troops deployed to the border or if they return to war.
Eritrea has warned repeatedly that new conflict is looming as Ethiopia refuses to accept a binding post-war border demarcation and has angrily accused world powers of ignoring Addis Ababa’s non-compliance with the 2002 peace deal that ended the hostilities.
The leaders of the Sanaa Forum were expected to discuss regional security and other issues, SABA said.
“Yemen is following with great interest developments of events in our region, notably in Sudan and Somalia,” Saleh said before proceedings got underway with closed door discussions.
He called on the international community to “support peace efforts in the region as well as efforts in the fight against terrorism.”
Saleh, as well his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Beshir and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Somalia’s transition President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed will also “put in place a (durable) structure for the ‘Sanaa Forum’,” he added.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kourbi had told AFP that member states should play a “common security role in the regions waters to prevent all kinds of sabotage and maritime piracy and enhance stability.”
The Sanaa Forum was set up in October 2002 by Yemen, Sudan and Ethiopia. Somalia joined the group in December last year.
The meeting in the southern Yemeni port comes at a time of escalating tension between Sudan and its western neighbour Chad following accusations by Ndjamena that Khartoum was harbouring and supporting Chadian rebels.
(AFP/ST)