WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- His Excellency Kassahun Ayele, Ethiopia's ambassador to the United States, has made available a statement from his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the December 19 ruling by the Eritrea Ethiopia Claims Commission in the Hague. The Commission has ruled that Eritrea invaded Ethiopia on May 12, 1998, in violation of the United Nations Charter, leading to a war that ended the lives of over 80,000 people in the two countries.

"While the Commission's ruling is not a cause of celebration, owing to the sad events that made it necessary, it is worth noting because it vindicates Ethiopia's long-standing position that our country was invaded by an unprovoked aggressor," said Ambassador Ayele.

The Ambassador pointed to a key passage in the Commission's opinion, which said in part:

"Eritrea violated Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter of the United Nations by resorting to armed force to attack and occupy the town of Badme, then under peaceful administration by Ethiopia, as well as other territory in the Tahtay Adiabo and Laelay Adiabo Weredas of Ethiopia, in an attack that began on May 12, 1998, and is liable to compensate Ethiopia, for the damages caused by the violation of international law."

The Ambassador added: "The commission's ruling affirms Ethiopia's long- held and true position that it was not the aggressor or agitator in the war that began seven years ago. The commission has uncovered the truth that Ethiopia did not provoke an attack, but instead defended itself against an aggressor. We are now looking forward to the implementation of recompense for the claims under the supervision of the international community."

The full text of the Commission's ruling can be found at:

http://www.mfa.gov.et/Press_Section/publication.php?Main_Page_Number=2286

or http://www.ethiopianembassy.org/pr122105.shtml

The text of the eight-page statement on the Commission's ruling by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is available upon request from the Press Office of the Embassy of Ethiopia.