The Pan African News Agency’s (PANA) story of 24 June, 2008 entitled: “Ethiopia wants Nigerian troops at border with Eritrea” has some factual errors. Our Ambassador’s discussion with the Nigerian State Minister for Defence in Abuja was on the deployment of Nigerian troops in Somalia, not at the Ethio-Eritrean border as reported by PANA. In that regard, the Nigerian State Minister said that Nigeria is ready to deploy its troops in Somalia at any time if it gets assistance in logistics.

Ethiopia has never made a request for the deployment of Nigerian troops at its border with Eritrea.