Ethiopia to release 60 Eritrean POWs

Addis Ababa, Feb. 15(ENA)-- The Ethiopian government has decided to release 60 Eritrean Prisoners of War (POWs) from Dedessa in the presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as of February 15, 2002.

According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of National Defense on Friday, the POWs are expected to cross the Mereb bridge and then into Eritrea on Feb. 18, 2002.

The release said the Ethiopian government had taken repeated initiatives and already repatriated 903 Eritrean POWs since the signing of the Algiers Peace Agreement in coordination with the ICRC and in strict observance of the agreement.

The process of exchange of POWs was stalled for sometime due to lack of goodwill and cooperation on the part of the Eritrean government for not releasing the information of the whereabouts of pilot Col. Bezabih Petros and other 36 police and militias taken POWs, it said.

According to the statement, the Ethiopian government reiterates its call to the international community to put the necessary pressure on the government of Eritrea to release and repatriate those remaining Ethiopian prisoners of war in Eritrea so as to close the chapter of POWs for ever.

(END)