Eritrea dismissed Ethiopian accusation of bomb plot

Feb 2, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Eritrea on Friday rejected accusations by bitter rival Ethiopia that Eritrea had plotted to bomb an African leaders summit.

“This is not the first time the Ethiopians have fabricated stories to try and discredit the Eritrean government,” said Eritrean presidential spokesman Yemani Gebremeskel.

“This is an outrageous claim. We have not planted bombs in Addis Ababa, or anywhere in Ethiopia,” he said by telephone from the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

Ethiopia’s government said Thursday it had foiled an attack planned for an annual African Union meeting attended by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, several Africa leaders and representatives of the Arab League and European Union. The meeting was held Monday and Tuesday in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Eritrea did not send a representative to the summit.

Ethiopia often has accused Eritrea of planting bombs in its territory and supporting rebels groups fighting low-level insurgencies against the government.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war, but their border was never settled. The two countries fought a bitter territorial war between 1998 and 2000 and U.N. peacekeepers now patrol the border region.

(Ap)