| 19 May 2007 04:17 SOMALIA WATCH |
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Ethiopia Makes Major Gains in African War Troops Seize Eritrea's Command Center By Karl Vick Washington Post Foreign Service Friday, May 19, 2000; Page A01 SHILALO, Eritrea, May 18-Ethiopian forces captured a strategic town well within Eritrea in a swift overnight advance and pushed on today toward a key provincial capital, sending more than 200,000 refugees fleeing for safety and sealing control of one front in a rapidly broadening border war. The taking of Barentu, after seven days of fighting, handed Ethiopia what had been the Eritrean army's command center for the western front and set up Ethiopian forces for a possible flanking move toward the central front east of here. Barentu, astride a major highway 23 miles from the nearest border point in southwestern Eritrea, also had been a supply center for Eritrean forces in the region and was the largest trophy so far in two years of off-and-on conflict. Eritrea announced the town was falling under an assault Wednesday night by artillery, warplanes and infantry. The government in Asmara, the Eritrean capital about 100 miles east of Barentu, said today its troops have withdrawn and 200,000 refugees, having fled the fighting, are in need of international assistance. Official Ethiopian broadcasts said more troops are headed from Barentu toward Agordat, the regional capital 40 miles to the northeast. Authorities in Asmara urged Agordat's residents to leave before the Ethiopians arrive, which raised the specter of another wave of refugees in a country already facing food shortages. A senior Ethiopian commander, flush with the victory, declared the aim of his troops is not only to reclaim territory Eritrea has occupied since the conflict erupted, but also to "emasculate" Eritrea's military and remove it as a threat to Ethiopia's control of land along the contested border. The statement, made here by Col. Gabre Kidan, illustrated the punitive undercurrent of Ethiopia's current offensive against its former province and what appears to be a desire by leaders in Addis Ababa to act decisively in this round of fighting against their rivals in Asmara. Eritrea's leaders, who waged a long rebellion against Ethiopia during the harsh Marxist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam, separated peacefully in 1993 and founded an independent country. At first they were on good terms with the new Ethiopian leadership, which also emerged from the revolt against Mengistu. But since then the two countries have been locked in a hostile confrontation over contested borders and issues ranging from personal rivalry to economic advantage. "Our main goal is emasculating the enemy troops," Kidan said in an interview at this crossroads town south of Barentu and about 20 miles west of Eritrea's border with Ethiopia. "Wherever we find them, we will do that." Asked whether that meant Ethiopian forces will try to move all the way to Asmara, Kidan replied: "Where our Ethiopian troops are is not the main point. What is important is how many of their troops are put out of service. Only when that is done will we avoid any threat against Ethiopia. "What I want to emphasize," Kidan added, "is that we are not interested in occupying Eritrean territory." Eritrea, meanwhile, condemned the U.N. Security Council's decision Wednesday night to impose an international arms embargo on both warring countries, saying the measure is unfair because Ethiopia started the current round of fighting with an offensive against Eritrean-held border land last Friday. "Ethiopia is the aggressor," Eritrean spokesman Yemane Ghebremeskel told reporters. "This has never been a border war. Ethiopia has used the border issue as a pretext to invade Eritrea." Ethiopian officials also cast their country as the victim, noting that it was Eritrea that began the crisis by invading the disputed border land two years ago. Kidan, for instance, said Ethiopia has no intention of prolonging the war but wants to prevent endless rounds of fighting by crippling Eritrea's military. From this Eritrean village that fell to his forces six days ago as Ethiopia began its push, Kidan surveyed the Plain of Badame littered with spent artillery shells and burned-out armor. Ethiopian troops took the plain, which both countries claim, amid much bloodshed more than a year ago. But Eritrea mounted a counteroffensive, and its troops dug into a network of defensive trenches--now abandoned but for bodies and belongings after last week's fighting. "You will see this war has an end, not by destroying every soldier in Eritrea, but by incapacitating parts of the force," Kidan said. Ethiopian commanders said they are bracing for a counterattack at Barentu, despite contending that taking it amounted to closing the western front. They declined to say whether a major offensive has begun on the central front, around Zalambessa about 100 miles to the east. That region, which includes the home villages of several senior commanders, has been occupied by Eritrea since June 1998. Ethiopia's attempt to take it with a frontal assault a year ago failed, incurring extremely high losses. Last week's surprise attack in the west was described as an attempt to draw Eritrean troops from the central front, leaving it more vulnerable. "It went as we planned," said Kidan of the attack. "They were not organized when they retreated. They went wherever their feet took them." © Copyright 2000 The Washington Post Company [ News] |
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