"It is unfortunate the game in Morocco will be played after ours, " said Ethiopia coach Seyoum Abate.

BBC: SPORT | Football | African | Ethiopia angry with match timing

Mr Nielsen said he had discussed the crisis with the presidents of Eritrea and Djibouti, as well as with Mr Seyoum.

BBC: Aid to Ethiopia 'too slow'

Our correspondent in Addis Ababa said that Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin refused to be drawn, at a news conference, into saying whether Ethiopia planned military spending cuts, saying only that Ethiopia had learnt lasting lessons about defending herself in the past couple of years.

BBC: Horn POW releases delayed