(21 Jul 1998) English/Nat
Ethiopian nationals in the Eritrean Red Sea port city of Assab have held a mass demonstration, demanding the right to go home.
The rally came during a lull in the latest fighting in the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea over territory.
About sixty per cent of the population of Assab is Ethiopian and many have been left unemployed and penniless since the start of the war with Eritrea.
At the Port of Assab there is no work.
Ethiopia has stopped using Assab's shipyards since the latest war began in early June.
Business has been transferred instead to nearby Djibouti, resulting in a virtual shutdown of the port.
Assab has a population of about 30-thousand people and about 60 per cent are Ethiopian nationals.
Ethiopians in the town say they have been left unemployed and penniless since the outbreak of fighting and they want to cross the border, 71 kilometers away, where both armies have amassed their forces.
The Ethiopian government has accused its neighbour of torture and forced deportations.
Ethiopian nationals in Assab were asked to select representatives to put their case to the local city administration.
The meeting broke up without any headway being made.
Since the war began in early June, Ethiopia has expelled more than 7-thousand Eritrean nationals and thousands more are under arrest and held in detention camps.
Eritrea on the other hand has deported only a few people and attempted to arrange transport for those Ethiopians who have wanted to return home.
While the port remains inactive and work is scarce more Ethiopians want to leave
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"What I mean before this conflict started almost 98 per cent of this accommodated Ethiopian cargo, it is transit cargo - 98 per cent. Basically after the conflict, as you know, the Ethiopian government announced that all Ethiopian cargo, all ships which have Ethiopian cargo should have to go to Djibouti."
SUPER CAPTION: Tesfai Tekle, Operations manager, Port of Assab
Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of provoking the latest fighting - a claim its neighbour denies.
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