Ethiopia threatens action against Eritrea after Afar attack

January 19, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia has warned that it will take action against Eritrea after five tourists were killed by gunmen who are believed to have crossed from the neighbouring Eritrea.

The tourists were attacked late on Tuesday in Ethiopia’s remote north-eastern Afar region near the Eritrean border. Four others were wounded in the shoot out.

The assailants kidnapped two Ethiopians and two Germans and security forces on Thursday were continuing to search for them. A total of 27 tourists from Italy, Germany, Austria, America and Hungary nationals and two Ethiopians (a driver and a policeman) were visiting Erta Ale, one of Ethiopia’s most active volcanoes when they were attacked.

Ethiopia insists the attack was carried out by Afar rebels who were trained and sent by Eritrea. An accusation Asmara denied.

In a statement the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs said the attack was carried out with the direct involvement of the Eritrean government, warning action against the regime in Asmara, further stirring tension between the two east African rivals.

“The Ethiopian government’s tolerance towards a regime that openly supports terrorist activity is inevitably wearing thinner by the day” reads the statement.

Ethiopia says it will “ be obliged to take whatever action is necessary to stop the activities of the Eritrean regime once and for all” unless the international community “assumes its responsibilities and takes the necessary steps to bring this abominable behavior to an end.”

Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The two neighbours fought a war from 1998-2000 over territorial disputes which claimed an estimated 70,000 lives.

Addis Ababa said the attack is deliberately orchestrated by Eritrea to coincide with the AU Summit scheduled to be held in the Ethiopian capital between 23-30 January.

Ethiopia claimed to have foiled an Eritrea-backed bomb plot to attack the AU summit in Addis Ababa in 2011.

A UN Monitoring Group report on Somalia and Eritrea published in July 2011 said Eritrea was behind the AU summit bomb plot.

The monitoring group then said the plan was to attack the AU headquarters with a car bomb when over 30 of the African leaders taking part in summit were taking a break.

(ST)