ESAT News (June 20, 2016)
Eritrea on Friday accused the United States of instigating the attack by the Ethiopian regime last week and also of the deployment of troops along the border.
“Eritrea is aware of Washington’s instigation not only of the attack against Eritrea that the TPLF launched last Sunday, June 12, 2016 but also in its deployment of weapons along the border for a much expanded offensive,” the statement by the country’s Information Ministry said.
The Ministry also said the statement by the US State Department calling on both sides to show restraint was “bland” and “cannot impress anyone” and was “shedding crocodile tears.”
Eritrea also said it was “appalled” by the statement of UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban-ki Moon, regarding the skirmish along the border last week.
“In the circumstances, we find the statement that apportions equal blame to the victim and the aggressor and calls on ‘both sides to show restraint’ untenable,” said a separate statement issued by the Eritrea’s Ministry of Information.
Eritrea and the Ethiopian regime accused each other of launching an attack on the Tsorena front on their common border. Eritrea said its forces killed 200 and injured 300 “repulsing the attack.
The Ethiopian regime also accused Eritrea of aggression and said its forces repulsed the attack by Eritrea but did not give details on causalities from last week’s skirmish.