NEWS RELEASE

Thursday, June 10, 1999

ONE YEAR OF ERITREAN OCCUPATION AT ZALAMBESSA

On June 9, 1998, Eritrean troops attacked and occupied the town of Zalambessa and its surrounding areas. Today Eritrean troops still occupy these areas of Ethiopian territory and are committing atrocities against the Ethiopian citizens of the area.

The invading forces looted personal property, burned down churches, stole sacrosanct property and destroyed the health and education infrastructures. Twenty-five hectares of crops were burnt, 1,300 cattle were stolen and farmers murdered by the Eritrean soldiers. Many people, including the elderly, pregnant women, women and children have also been abducted from the area.

Over 25,000 Ethiopians have been displaced as a result of the invasion, most of whom now live in the non-occupied territories or in caves. Those who could not flee the invasion have had to suffer for an entire year under Eritrean occupation. Many have been forced to adopt Eritrean citizenship or have lost the right to farm their land.

Prior to Eritrea’s June invasion, it had never even claimed these territories as its own, including during Ethiopia’s 1995 national parliamentary elections to choose an MP to represent the Zalambessa constituency and during Eritrea’s own referendum on independence in 1993. Thus, on the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Zalambessa, the Ethiopian government renews its call for Eritrea to withdraw its troops from all Ethiopian territory so that the Ethiopian people can once again live freely in their own land.