Troop movements raise fears in Africa

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=2196882005
Troop movements raise fears in Africa

THE African Union expressed concern yesterday over the reported movements of military personnel and hardware on both sides of the demilitarised zone separating the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies.

Alpha Oumar Konare, the AU Commission chairman, spoke a day after a senior UN official monitoring the border said he feared a new war after Eritrea attempted to send troops into the zone during the past ten days.
The AU Commission said: "This has the potential to escalate into a military confrontation, with far-reaching implications for the two countries and the region as a whole."

Mr Konare urged both sides to "exercise restraint".

UN peacekeepers patrol a buffer zone set up after a two-and-a-half year border war ended in 2000. Eritrea has recently imposed restrictions on the UN troops.

Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister, said yesterday that Ethiopia was watching events on the Eritrean side of the border. "The Ethiopian forces are ready to take all the necessary measures to defend the country's sovereignty," he said.

The AU warning came after UN peacekeepers said this week that Ethiopian troops and tanks - previously 25 miles from the demilitarised zone - were now 12 miles away, while about 120 Eritrean troops have tried to get into the zone.
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