Eritrea: UN's Ban should stop blaming the victim

By Abebech Tamene

ADDIS ABABA, (AA) - The Eritrean government on Friday accused UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of failing to distinguish between what it sees as the aggressor and the victim.

Ban issued a statement on Wednesday calling on both Eritrea and Ethiopia to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any act that could exacerbate the fighting that broke out on June 12-13.

“We find the statement that apportions equal blame to the victim and the aggressor and calls on both sides to show restraint untenable,” the Eritrean government said in a statement.

“We are appalled by the statement of the UN secretary-general on the TPLF attack against Eritrea on the Tsorena Front,” it said, referring to the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, one of four parties in Ethiopia’s ruling coalition.

The Eritrean government added that Ban’s statement destroys “the moral authority of the secretary-general’s office.”

Eritrea and Ethiopia accused each other of instigating a two-day heavy clash at one of the highly militarized border posts, the Tsorena Front. Both countries claimed victory in the violent clash.