"Just before I left Addis Ababa to come to Dar es Salaam for a short Xmas and New Year vacation, I had recieved an invitation from President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea to pay a visit to his country. In his message the Eritrean leader had insisted that I should do so before December 31, 1995 - the day the UN Secretary General Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali was expected to visit Asmara. It was also clear that my visit was within the context of the continuing dispute between Eritrea and Yemen over the Hanish Archipelago.
I have never been to Eritrea since the EPLF took power in 1991 and thus leading to the birth of Independent Eritrea. But to be more precise, except for short stop overs at Asmara International Airport I have never been to Eritrea at all period." - Dr. Salim, December 27, 1995
