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| International |
| Ethiopian government, rebels both declare victory in fighting |
| 2002-06-30 |
| State-run newspapers published a statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Information on Saturday saying the army had killed 20 rebels from the Oromo Liberation Front and captured 227 earlier this week in the western Gambella region, along the Sudanese border. The statement claimed the army had also captured a large number of weapons, while accusing the Eritrean government of training and equipping the rebels. "Damn those Eritreans!" Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a two-year border war from 1998 to 2000, but have since reached a peace agreement. "So take that, suckers!" But a rebel statement has denied the government claims and insisted they had gained ground. "It is remembered that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a month ago in a nationally televised interview, claimed to have destroyed the entire Oromo Liberation Army in the Western zone and that the OLF is left only with fifteen fighters," the statement said. The regime says "one thing today and another thing tomorrow." "Nope. Wudn't us. Maybe it was somebody else you wiped out." Rebel spokesman Leneho Batti said the rebels attacked Ethiopian troops near Akobo and had inflicted heavy losses. "Matter o' fact, we beat you up. So take that, suckers!" |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |