DELUSION REVISITED

January 16, 2002

DELUSION REVISITED

Re.:“Are we really right?”

M. Filli A.

In an article titled “Are we really right?”, the author quotes following OAU resolution of 1964: "Solemnly declares that all Member States pledge themselves to respect the borders existing on their achievement of national independence.” "-- OAU - Cairo Resolution AHG/RES 16(1) and then infers “For most African countries, "the borders existing on their achievement of national independence" are the same as their colonial boundaries, because they achieved independence from their European colonisers. This is not the case with Eritrea.” Therein lies the fallacy. That the borders at national independence are the same as their colonial boundries is true for Eritrea too. But not because they achieved independence from their European or for that matter non-European Colonizers but because the colonial borders were determined and established when the Nation States/Colonies were first created – The era of the infamous “Scramble for Africa”

Those being the facts, the essence of the above cited OAU resolution, among other things, was to prevent re-negotiating colonial borders and to maintain colonial borders as set by the respective colonial powers during the colonial era.

Further, the author claims “Our formally recognised national independence did not come until 1993 and it was not from Italy (who's borders we want recognised), it was from Ethiopia.” Well, Great Britain, and Ethiopia, all inherited exactly the same colonial borders that has created and established Eritrea’s Nationhood by the Italians. Thus, our colonial borders remain the same regardless of who the last colonial power was and the date of our independence.

The colonial question in Africa was resolved when most African colonies gained national independence from their respective colonial creators. That applies unambiguously to Eritrea as well. Eritrea was created by Italy. Ethiopia did not create but illegally annexed and perpetuated colonial occupation of our country only to prevent our national independence. In 1991 the Ethiopian colonial occupation was crushed and Eritrea became independent by the sheer power of military force. What took place1993 was designed to bring closure to Eritrean colonial question and a matter of mere diplomatic formality to ascertain our national independence officially as a reenactment of what should have happened 61 years ago like its sister colonies in particular and most other colonies in general. It is therefore absolutely wrong, unfounded, and utter political nonsense to talk about “our national independence coming from Ethiopia" whatever that might mean.

Furhter, the author poses the following rhetorical question:

“What borders did we have as of our independence in 1993?” Answer: We have exactly the same colonial borders we have had ever since the creation of Eritrea as established by the now well-known colonial treaties of 1900, 1902, and 1908 that is also the unequivocal basis of The Hague mission.

The author proceeds “The OAU fact finding mission travelled to the region at the very beginning of the war and established that Ethiopia was peacefully governing Badme, Zalambessa and several currently disputed territories, before the war. They did so without any official protest from the Eritrean government” This report has no impact upon our colonial borders because regardless of the extent, nature, and duration of whatever Eritrean Lands Ethiopia was governing peacefully or not, with or without protest, it is not going to change our established and well-documented colonial borders that created the very Eritrea as cited above. Eritrea has been created as a nation state with definite colonial borders prior to British and Ethiopian colonial occupation.

The author writes “All the following mediation efforts conducted by the UN and OAU respectively called for the return of all military positions to the situation before war broke out, a return to the "status quo". A return to the same situation that Eritrea was in at independence, 1993. With Badme, Zalambessa, Burri and Alitena administered by Ethiopia.” As we all know, and I hope the author too, the agreement to return to status quo ante stipulates that it will not pre-judge the final demarcation of our colonial borders.

With that, no matter who administered what and for how long has no bearing on our colonial borders for these has been established even before the beginning of the Eritrean Liberation Struggle! The Hague findings will be determined in accordance with the clean and clear colonial treaties accepted by both parties. I am optimistic because I couldn’t have other option and Eritrea will prevail.

“Are we really right?” Better believe it.

Dr. Mesoud Filli A.