Eritrea tells UN Ethiopia contemplating full-scale war

Ethiopia is contemplating full-scale war against Eritrea, Eritrean Presidential Advisor Yemane Ghebreab told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday, where he was defending his country against allegations of crimes against humanity.

“As we speak Ethiopia is making preparations for a bigger military offensive and contemplateing a full-scale war,” Yemane told the Council.

Both countries have blamed each other for starting a clash on their border on June 12.

Eritrea accused Ethiopia of having orchestrated evidence in a landmark United Nations report last week that accused Eritrean leaders of committing crimes against humanity including torture, murder and enslavement.

Foreign Minister Osman Saleh told the U.N. Human Rights Council that information had been gathered from “witnesses organised by Ethiopia” and that an armed border attack on Sunday had been timed “for maximum impact on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Eritrea”.

His government, he said, was focusing on human rights and freeing Djiboutian prisoners of war.

Ethiopian Ambassador Negash Kebret Botora took the floor at the Geneva forum to dismiss the statement as “baseless”, adding: “Internally the (Eritrean) regime continues to commit crimes against humanity as well as externally.”