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AU
condemns Eritrean attack on Djibouti
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 SHARM
EL-SHEIKH, Egypt(July 1,2008) - The
African Union condemned Eritrea on Sunday for taking military action
against Djibouti near a strategic Red Sea shipping route and told
Asmara to withdraw its forces, AU officials said.
Djibouti accused neighbour Eritrea earlier this month of moving troops
across the border, sparking clashes which killed a dozen soldiers.
Eritrea refused to accept an AU investigation team which visited Djibouti
and it denies the accusation.
"The Peace and Security Council (PSC) strongly condemns Eritrea
for its military action against Djibouti and requests it to pull out
from the occupied Djiboutian territory," a senior AU official
told Reuters.
He was reading decisions from the AU body responsible for threats
to security on the continent which met on Sunday in the Egyptian resort
of Sharm el-Sheikh ahead of an AU summit.
The Eritrean delegation boycotted the meeting, PSC Commissioner Ramtane
Lamamra said.
The U.N. Security Council has also called for a U.N. fact-finding
mission to visit both countries.
France has one of its largest overseas military bases in Djibouti.
The United States also has a military base there.
Djibouti has said the situation on the border was calm, but that French
warships would arrive off its coast soon. Paris signed a mutual defence
pact with Djibouti after the Red Sea state's independence in 1977.
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