Ethiopia Conditionally Halts POWs Exchange with Eritrea

    Addis Ababa, August 3 (ENA)---The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Ethiopia is suspending the exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) with Eritrea until Eritrea makes known the conditions of Ethiopian captives including the fighter jet pilot, Colonel Bezabeh Petros and other 36 militia and police members. 

A senior official with the ministry told ENA here on Friday that Ethiopia in December had requested Eritrea to make known the conditions and whereabouts of the jet pilot as well as the militia and police members who were captured during Eritrea's invasion of Badme, Shiraro and Zalambessa.

 The official said Ethiopia holds evidences that the Ethiopian airforce pilot and the 36-militia and police members were captured alive.

 However, the list of Ethiopian POWs Eritrea issued through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) does not include the names of the pilot and the militia and police members, the official said. 

Ethiopia thereafter had repeatedly notified the ICRC to be informed of the conditions of the POWs in question, according to the official.

Ethiopia has been the first to have begun the implementation of POWs exchange in line with the peace accords signed in December last year. 

The official said Ethiopia should be informed of the conditions and whereabouts of the pilot and all 36 members of the militia and police before it resumes implementing the exchange of POWs with Eritrea. 

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