Mr Seyoum urged the summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Algiers to condemn what he called Eritrea's illegal acts.

He said Ethiopia would continue to make sacrifices to restore its sovereignty over the disputed territory as long as Eritrea refused to withdraw from areas it has occupied.

Discussion of the border conflict in the Horn of Africa is high on the agenda at the OAU summit.

(Click here to see a map of major conflicts in Africa.)

Both Eritrea and Ethiopia have indicated support for an OAU peace plan but so far there is little sign to an end to the fighting.

Plea on debt

President Obasanjo is attending his first OAU summit

In another development, the newly elected President of Nigeria, Olesegun Obasanjo, used his maiden speech at the OAU to support calls for the relief of Third World debt.

President Obasanjo said it was absurd that every African man, woman and child owed the equivalent of more than $350 in unpayable debt.

And he added that it was unjust and immoral that some poor African countries were spending 40% of their annual budgets on paying back debts to western institutions.

Algeria 'at peace'

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria opened the 35th OAU summit on Monday saying that peace had now come to his country after eight years of civil war.

Addressing about 30 heads of state and government he said: "By your presence here you show political and psychological support for my efforts to bring about a return of peace and reconciliation and to restore the dignity of the Algerian people."

BBC correspondent Mark Doyle, who is at the conference, said the high turnout is being taken as approval for Mr Bouteflika's policy of allowing limited clemency to Islamic militants who have been waging a violent war against the army.

But our correspondent says security is still very tight, and journalists are not being allowed to leave their hotels without bodyguards.

Limousine for Gaddafi

Colonel Gaddafi at his first OAU for 22 years

Colonel Gaddafi of Libya - whose staff have erected a tent for him outside the conference venue - is attending his first OAU summit for 22 years.

He arrived at the opening ceremony in a huge white cadillac surrounded by security agents, and waved and smiled at journalists.

Despite the high turnout of heads of state, the BBC correspondent says many ordinary Africans remain sceptical about the OAU's ability to resolve their problems.

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