By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : The Arab League Council has called on Eritrea to withdraw its forces from border areas near Djibouti immediately and respect Djibouti’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
During its emergency meeting on the level of permanent envoys here Thursday, the council reviewed the border tension between the two African Horn countries in Ras Domira, Djibouti.
The council urged Eritrea to respect the principles of neighbourliness, the sanctity of international borders and the independence of Djibouti, according to a statement issued following the meeting.
It called on the Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and the Arab Security and Peace Council to pursue their efforts to settle the dispute in a way that guarantees Djibouti’s rights and report to the Arab League Council during its coming ordinary meeting.
It also urged continuation of contacts with the Eritrean government to defuse the tension and appreciated the report of the Arab fact-finding committee on the issue, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Arab League Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ahmed Bin-Helli said the League would work with the Arab Security and Peace Council, the African Union, the African Security and Peace Council, Eritrea and Djibouti to contain the standoff through dialogue.
The Arab fact-finding committee is scheduled to visit Eritrea which refused to receive the committee on May 8, Bin-Helli disclosed, noting the tension between the two countries was escalating seriously.
For his part, current chairman of the Arab League Council and Djiboutian envoy to the Lleague, Ambassador Moussa Mohammad Ahmed said the Djiboutian armed forces rebuffed an Eritrean attack against Ras Domira and killed 100 Eritrean soldiers on Tuesday.
Twenty-one Eritrean troopers defected from their army and surrendered to the Djiboutian forces, he said, voicing regret over Eritrea’s failure to respond to the good offices of the Arab League.