NEWS RELEASE

Wednesday, April 14th, 1999

SOMALI NATIONALS CAUGHT SMUGGLING EXPLOSIVES

Ethiopian authorities at the weekend detained Somali nationals caught smuggling explosives into Ethiopia. The authorities are in possession of the explosives being carried which come from different countries of origin. Pending investigations further details will be made available.

The recent reports that ‘heavily armed’ Ethiopian Defence Forces have entered Somalia are unfounded. The background to these claims and those bent on portraying Ethiopia as an invader indicate the devious forces at work in the region and the lengths to which they will go.

In recent years Ethiopia has, in fact, been facilitating peace efforts between the factions in Somalia by providing a peace forum through which the factions could try to resolve their differences. Ethiopia has at all times maintained that it is up to the Somali factions themselves to find a way froward.

Ethiopia’s foreign policy is based on non-interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring states and this fundamental principle has been adhered to in Ethiopia’s relations with Somalia.