From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Jul 01 2008 - 08:12:38 EDT
June 30, 2008 African Union Demands Eritrea Withdraw Troops From Djibouti
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP)--The African Union on Monday demanded that
Eritrea immediately withdraw its troops from a border area in dispute with
Djibouti.
The African Union "strongly condemn Eritrea's military action against
Djibouti in Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island and demands that Eritrea
withdraw immediately and unconditionally," it said in a statement from its
Peace and Security Council.
The African Union "urges the two countries, in particular Eritrea, to show
restraint, resort to dialogue to resolve any bilateral dispute and to give
cooperation to all efforts deployed to this effect," said the statement,
released on the sidelines of a summit of heads of state being held here.
The African Union's Peace and Security Committee met Sunday, but the results
of the meeting weren't previously made public.
Tension between the Horn of Africa countries has been high since April 16
when Eritrean troops raided Ras Doumeira, a disputed promontory on the
shores of the Red Sea, as it pursued deserters. Clashes on June 10 killed
nine people.
The neighbors fought for control of the area in 1996 and 1999 and have never
held talks to resolve the dispute.
The statement also called on Eritrea to accept an African Union Commission
delegation and cooperate with its efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
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