Eritrea “trying to wage war against Sudan”: report

ASMARA, Nov 12, 2004 (Al-Sahafah) — The Eritrean president, Isayas Afewerki, has been reported to be trying to wage war against Sudan starting from Kassala town, which neighbours Eritrea, as well as Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast and Khartoum.

Reports by Sudan Safari — a pro-governmental private news agency — from the Eritrean capital, Asmara, say the Eritrean president was using the very bases he has been previously using to launch his aggression against Sudan, that is the Beja Congress and the Red Lions, as well as the two Darfur rebel movements, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Reports say that two assistants to President Afewerki were supervising and coordinating between this armed factions and distributing to them roles, and laying down plans for implementation.

Tension has continued to remain between Khartoum and Asmara, with each side accusing the other of trying to disrupt security in their respective territories.

Last month, the two countries exchanged fierce accusations when the governor of Kassala State accused Eritrea of massing troops in preparation for an attack on Kassala and Dirdib untraced towns as the Eritrean information minister accused Khartoum of trying to assassinate Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki.

[ST: War of words between Eritrea and Sudan intensifies since several months. The two countries have been accusing each other of supporting opposition groups in order to destabilise the other’s regime.]

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service