Ethiopia reportedly sues Eritrean embassy over house rent

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 21, 2005 (The Reporter) — The Ethiopian housing administration has filed charges against the Eritrean embassy in Ethiopia demanding that the embassy pays rent and vacates the house immediately.

The charges filed against the Eritrean embassy at the Civil High Court state that although the embassy agreed to pay its water bills within 10 days after receiving the bills, it failed to pay both its water bills and house rent since Miazia 1996 (April 2004) amounting to 964,408.39 birr — about 112,140 US dollars — in addition to penalties.

The embassy was asked to clear its debt through a letter, but since it was not willing to do so, the administration has been forced to file charges against the embassy.

The adminsitration has asked the high court to force the embassy clear the debts, renovate and vacate the house immediately.

The only official at the embassy was Ambassador Salih Omar. He was recalled by his government early 2004 in protest over the unresolved border dispute between the two countries, and since then embassy has remained closed.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service, original in Amharic.