Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ADDISABABA50
2010-01-12 15:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

ETHIOPIA DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN SKIRMISH ON ERITREA

Tags:  MOPS ASEC PREL ER ET 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000050 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2020
TAGS: MOPS ASEC PREL ER ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN SKIRMISH ON ERITREA
BORDER

REF: A. ASMARA 3

B. 09 ADDIS ABABA 3068

Classified By: CDA Tulinabo Mushingi for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000050

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2020
TAGS: MOPS ASEC PREL ER ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN SKIRMISH ON ERITREA
BORDER

REF: A. ASMARA 3

B. 09 ADDIS ABABA 3068

Classified By: CDA Tulinabo Mushingi for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Responding to recent Eritrean claims of border attacks
initiated by the Ethiopian military, the Government of
Ethiopia (GoE) initially publicly denied the attacks had
occurred and later acknowledged to us the attacks had
probably occurred while strongly denying GOE involvement.
GoE officials privately suggest claims of responsibility by
Eritrean rebel groups are accurate and disingenuously explain
that Ethiopia cannot monitor the activities of such groups,
even those operating out of Ethiopia. End summary.

GoE Publicly Denies Knowledge of Recent Skirmish...
-------------- --------------


2. (U) On January 3, the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs
released a statement claiming that Tigrayan People's
Liberation Front (TPLF) forces had launched successive
attacks on Eritrea near the disputed border town of Zalambesa
on January 1. (Note: In this context, "TPLF" most likely
refers to Ethiopian National Defense Forces, the Ethiopian
military. End note.) According to the statement, the
Eritrean military drove the soldiers back into Ethiopia,
killing ten and capturing two (Ref A). In statements issued
January 3 and 4, Ethiopian Government Communications Minister
Bereket Simon and spokesman Shimelis Kemal said there had
been no attack and accused Eritrea of attempting to deflect
attention from internal Eritrean difficulties.


3. (U) On January 8, Minister Bereket revised his statement,
saying, "there might have been a fight with insurgents, but
Ethiopia wasn't involved in any way." In the same statement,
he equated Eritrean claims of Ethiopian involvement in the
attacks with claims by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki that
the CIA was behind the attacks, as well as the recently
imposed UNSC sanctions against Eritrea, stating: "Eritrea
thinks blaming U.S. intelligence for anything that happens
will help it escape from its internal troubles... They
always blame IGAD, CIA, or regional governments."

...But Privately Says Eritrean Rebels Are Responsible
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Privately, the GoE has been more candid about the
likely source of the attacks. On January 8, Tesfaye Yilma,
Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director General
for Europe and the Americas, suggested to A/DCM that the two
Eritrean opposition groups that claimed responsibility for
attacking Eritrean military installations and killing 25
Eritrean troops, the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization
(RSADO) and the Eritrean National Salvation Front (ENSF),had
probably done so. Tesfaye insisted that there was "no link
at all" between the attacks and the GoE. Asked whether the
GoE had a reaction to foreign rebel groups attacking a
neighboring state from within Ethiopian territory, Tesfaye
said it was difficult to identify the groups because their
membership spanned the border.


5. (C) On January 11, MFA Americas Director Tebeje Berhe
Shook called A/DCM and directed him to an Eritrean diaspora
website (www.awate.com) featuring an interview with Jabir
Ahmed, military commander of the ENSF, indicating some degree
of GoE concurrence with the claims represented by Ahmed. In
the interview, Jabir claimed the January 1 operation was
intended to demonstrate coordination among Eritrean
opposition groups and the ability of such groups to conduct
joint operations, as well as to force the Eritrean government
to acknowledge the existence of such groups. Ahmed claimed
the timing of the attacks had nothing to do with the recently
imposed UNSC sanctions.


6. (C) In a January 8 meeting with A/DCM, opposition Oromo
People's Congress (OPC) and Forum leader Merera Gudina
offered two possible explanations for the incident: 1) The
GoE ordered Ethiopian National Defense Forces to attack

ADDIS ABAB 00000050 002 OF 002


Eritrea to test the international community's reaction in
light of recent sanctions; or 2) Eritrean opposition groups
operating out of Ethiopia and funded by the GoE carried out
the attacks with GoE approval.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) Several Embassy sources have suggested that the
attacks likely did occur, originated in Ethiopia, and were
carried out by GoE-supported Eritrean rebels. This
explanation is plausible, given the GoE's initial refusal to
admit knowledge of the attacks, subsequent private comments,
and Eritrea's preference to blame Ethiopia for its woes
rather than admit an internal challenge. It is unclear
whether the timing of the attacks was coordinated with the
GoE at all, and if so, whether it was influenced by the upper
hand the GoE feels it has in light of recent UNSC sanctions.
End comment.
MUSHINGI