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29 August, 2007
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Ethiopia on Tuesday justified its decision to expel Norwegian diplomats arguing that Oslo was interfering in its internal affairs and destablising the Horn of Africa.
"The reason for their expulsion is Norway's repeated and widespread interference in destabilising the Horn of Africa, and Ethiopia in particular," Bereket Simon, a top aide to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, told AFP.
"This decision is not sudden, we have repeatedly raised the issue with Norwegian officials. We had warned them to refrain from interfering in our internal affairs," he said.
Norway announced Monday it had been informed by Ethiopia on August 15 that Addis Ababa was "dissatisfied" with Oslo's diplomacy in the region and was demanding the Scandinavian country downscale its embassy staff.
Bereket did not elaborate on Ethiopia's grudges, but Norwegian Junior Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen told AFP on Monday that Addis Ababa had accused Oslo of favouring its arch-foe Eritrea in regional mediation efforts.
He said Ethiopia cited Norway's contacts with Eritrea in the course of its endeavours to broker peace in neighbouring Sudan and Somalia.
Addis Ababa is seen to be wary of Norway's backing of Asmara, which supports some rebel groups in Somalia and Sudan. Oslo actively backed Asmara during its liberation struggle.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bitter territorial war between 1998 and 2000. A peace deal was reached but it has not been fully implemented and fears have grown recently that the two enemies were headed towards fresh conflict.