Djibouti puts precondition before resolving territorial dispute with Eritrea

Taking his cue from Ethiopia, dictator Ismail Gulleh puts up precondition to prevent resolving territorial dispute with Eritrea. The goal seems to be to prolong the dispute as long as possible so SEMG can continue to use it as a pretext to recommend maintaining illegal sanctions against Eritrea.

By Xinhua

Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has said that the release of Djiboutians held in Eritrea remain the first precondition for the restart of talks to resolve a territorial dispute between his country and Eritrea, an official source said.

"The resolution of the dispute between Eritrea and my country will depend on the release of Djiboutian soldiers," Guelleh said on Monday in Doha during his three-day visit to Qatar, the mediator in the dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti.

The president made the remarks during his meeting with Qatar Emir Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha.

He reminded the Emir that the refusal by Eritrea to give information on the state of the imprisoned Djiboutian soldiers was a source of "unbearable pain for their families."

The two men agreed on the "need to end the prevailing situation of no war and no peace between Djibouti and Eritrea."

Guelleh used the opportunity to thank the Emir of Qatar for his tireless efforts in the mediation of the dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea.

In 2008, a territorial dispute caused a three-day armed conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea.

Sponsored Ads