Ethiopia’s leader warns Eritrea over “aggressions”
May 11, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Prime minister Meles Zenawi has advised arch-foe Eritrea to refrain from what he said was a “growing aggression by Asmara”.
PM Meles Zenawi, also commander in-chief of the national defense forces, stressed that his army is militarily capable of smashing down any foreign invaders to safe guard country; however he said that the Ethiopian government has preferred to pass to a number of hostilities by Eritrea.
“The Ethiopian government and our defense forces have refrained from retaliating to Eritrea’s repeated aggressions.” Zenawi said adding “That is because we abide by international laws and due the determination we prioritize for peace”.
“However, Eritrea or others shouldn’t draw a false conclusion to the over-patience we are tolerating,” he said.
“But the aggressors, especially the Eritrean government must know that our patience does not mean that it doesn’t have a limit to break,” he underscored.
The premier made the remarks while addressing military officers who were graduating from the Ethiopian defense command and staff college on Saturday.
Ethiopia is accusing Eritrea of trying to disrupt this month’s national election.
Addis Ababa has hold Asmara responsible to a recent bomb blast at a border town of Adi-Daro, which killed 5 people and injured many others. Last week Ethiopian security forces said they have arrested Eritrean-sent Al-shebaba extremists and Oromo rebel groups who were trying to sneak in through Somalia.
With tensions still rising, the two neighbors currently remain in a no-war no-peace situation, after they went in to a bloody border war that claimed 70,000 people in 1998-2000.
(ST)