Ethiopian charges baseless, says Doha

Doha: Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected Ethiopia's accusations of interference and fuelling instability in the Horn of Africa, after the African country severed diplomatic ties on Monday.

Qatar News Agency quoted an anonymous official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that Ethiopia's claims were "baseless" and called on the African country to refrain from involving Qatar in its disputes.

"An official source at the Ministry of Foreign affairs has expressed astonishment at a statement by the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, which contains a decision on severing diplomatic relations with ... Qatar and contains as well claims and allegations which are baseless and bare of truth," said the statement published by the agency on Tuesday evening.

Breaking off ties

"In a statement to Qatar News Agency, the Foreign Ministry said the policy of ... Qatar is based on clear and firm pillars which confirm its keenness on security, stability and non-interference in others affairs as well as fighting terrorism in all its forms."

On Monday, Ethiopia broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar saying the Gulf state has become "a major source of instability in the Horn of Africa".

Wahide Belay, a spokes-man for the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, cited Qatar's relationship with Eritrea, an enemy of Ethiopia. He called Qatar a "good friend" of the neighbouring Horn of Africa country. "Qatar has left no stone unturned to cause harm to Ethiopia's national security. All those who are prepared to foment instability in Ethiopia and undermine the country's security have been given support and encouragement by Qatar," the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said.

But Qatar rebuked that "the misleading Ethiopian claims in this regard are dangerous and the Ethiopian government instead should seek accuracy in such dangerous statements".

The Qatar News Agency added: "Such misleading claims contained in the Ethiopian statement and involving ... Qatar in those claims represent a blatant attempt to justify the wrong policies of the Ethiopian government. The Qatari statement called on the Ethiopian government to refrain from involving ... Qatar in its rifts, recalling at the same time that the Ethiopian government has previously launched similar claims but ... Qatar has preferred not to reply at that time out of the hope that the Ethiopian government would stop such wrong behaviours."

The two countries had diplomatic relations but neither had an embassy in the other's capital. Eritrea and Ethiopia have been feuding over their border since Eritrea gained independence from Addis Ababa.