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Eritrea 'shocked' by Ethiopia decision to sever Qatar ties |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
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NAIROBI (AFP) - Eritrea has expressed dismay at neighbouring Ethiopia's decision to suspend diplomatic relations with Asmara's ally Qatar over accusations of supporting terrorism in the region.
"The measure taken was indeed shocking," the Eritrean foreign ministry said in a statement received by AFP Thursday.
The statement argued that Ethiopia's decision had stemmed from the fact that the United States has labelled Eritrea a state sponsor of terrorism, notably as "a conduit of support of Qatar and Libya to Somalia."
On April 21, Ethiopia announced it was severing ties with Qatar, accusing the Arab state of supporting armed opposition groups within Ethiopia and others such as Islamist insurgents in Somalia.
Eritrea again lashed out at Addis Ababa's role in Somalia, where Ethiopian troops deployed in late 2006 to rescue an embattled Somali transitional government from an Islamist militia.
On Wednesday, Qatar's foreign ministry said it was "surprised" by Addis Ababa's "unfounded and untruthful allegations," and saw them as "a deliberate attempt to justify its own erroneous policies."
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Last Updated ( Monday, 28 April 2008 )
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