Eritrea/Ethiopia: Setting records straight, AngolaPress on US

Commentary

By TED

31 Dec 2004, EDnews - Ethiopia refuses to accept United State’s negative reaction to its recent sham plan for Eritrea because it was not conveyed Ethiopia’s way, not that it will accept it then but simply to embarrass the US. It has therefore launched a campaign lying about US reaction to its plan under the title “Concern over US silence on peace initiative”.

AngolaPress has now popped up as a major ally to that effect. On 28 Dec 2004, Angop re-posted an article entitled “Ethiopia expresses concern over US silence on peace initiative”, which is a carbon copy of the initial post[ Ethiopia said concerned by US silence on peace plan with Eritrea]  disseminating lies about the reaction of not only the US but also of a set of other nations/organization regarding what Ethiopia put forward on 25 Nov 2004 including its own assessment.

While Angop is fully entitled to its news story, it is a shame for such an esteemed organization to stoop so low to the level of disseminating blatant distortions of publicly known facts for reasons that escape one’s comprehension.

First of all what Ethiopia recently put forward is not at all even remotely a “peace initiative” but a plan manifestly designed to destroy the Algiers peace agreement in the name of peace (see below for details).

There is no border or any dispute for that matter between Eritrea and Ethiopia because that has already been settled legally, conclusively, and irreversibly in accordance with the Algiers peace agreement that both countries signed and agreed to abide by and the decision exists in the form of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission’s ruling of 13 April 2002. Eritrea has long accepted the ruling as such and unequivocally and the international community treats the decision equally so.

Ethiopia’s refusal to accept the border decision in blatant contravention of Algiers does not render the dispute unresolved or mean that the dispute persists but makes Ethiopia defiant for no one else is contesting the border decision.

The int’l community has established and persists that the Algiers peace agreement is the only mechanism for peace and stability between Eritrea and Ethiopia in particular and the Horn region in general. Ethiopia agreed and signed on to that peace accord. Hence, peace between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and in the Horn has been so defined and established. And where peace has been so established, there can’t be another peace initiative (because on one else is contesting it) but sabotage of the so-attained peace in the name of peace. That is exactly what Ethiopia put forward in the name of peace on 25 Nov 2004 does: It violates the cardinal tenets of the Algiers peace accord on two counts. Therefore, there can’t be any talk of “peace initiative” when referring to what Ethiopia offered on X-mas Day 04 but a 2-point plan to destroy the Algiers peace accord in the name of peace shrouded in 3 items from the Algiers agreement. 

“in the diplomatic world silence is shorthand for consent” said one observer. That may be true, but Unless AngolaPress, other observers, and Ethiopia are waiting to see US troops stationed in Eritrea, the US is neither silent nor consenting to Ethiopia’s sham plan. To the contrary, the US has ducked Ethiopia’s plan by expressing its unwavering commitment to the Algiers peace Agreement and has spoken publicly on three occasions, and on one face-to- face meeting of Ethiopia’s foreign minister and Richard Armitage to that effect and dispatched a high US official to let Eritrea know that the US sticks to Algiers.

May be the US did not speak as loud as Ethiopia wanted but it was audible and comprehensible enough for Ethiopia to get worried and concerned. For more please check out the following links:

http://www.eritreadaily.net/news/article200412202.htm  and  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/28294.htm

“It was to be recalled that the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations Security Council and other countries and partners welcomed the peace proposal after Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi presented the peace proposal on November 25.” Writes AngolaPress.

Well, it is not certain if one can equate AU to OAU (forerunner of AU). But if that is the case, then the OAU is co-signatory of the Algiers Agreement and thereby treaty-obliged to ensure strict adherence to the Algiers agreement. Last time we checked, the AU has not reneged on that, could that be wrong?

As to the EU, UNSC, and others, here is what William Maclean reported to Reuters on 23 Dec 2004:

“Major powers are unanimous in saying reopening negotiations would go against promises both countries made to be bound by the ruling. The European Union last week echoed Eritrea's call for Ethiopia to respect the border ruling in full.” For more please refer to the following links:

Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European

Union on the peace process between Ethiopia and Eritrea

and http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8276.doc.htm 

“The newly introduced peace proposal demanded Eritrea to sit for dialogue for the keenly awaited border demarcation process at the border areas of the two countries.”  Goes on AngolaPress. With all due respect, this is a fraudulent statement. The “proposal” demands Eritrea to accept Ethiopia’s 85% acceptance of the demarcation decision and to enter into dialogue in order to re-open the case and re-argue the border decision over the remaining 15 %. That is an audacious and shameless proposal to destroy the Algiers peace agreement because it violates the sanctity of the border decision head-on. By agreement between both countries, once the verdict is pronounced the case is closed, border decision is final, binding, cannot be negotiated or dialogued, and must be accepted unequivocally (as is). Also by mutual agreement, demarcation is an exclusive authority of the Boundary Commission and cannot be delegated.

“Observers said the US silence on the peace proposal helped Eritrea to continue rejecting the peace offer and dialogue”. So, concludes AngolaPress.

What a shame? As stated above, the US is not silent. The US has damped Ethiopia’s destructive plan by reiterating its firm commitment to the Algiers peace accord. Moreover, the US stance neither favors Eritrea nor Ethiopia. All the US is calling for is strict adherence to the Algiers peace agreement agreed to and singed by both parties to abide by, what is wrong with that? There is no peace offer that Eritrea rejected, that is a lie.  What Ethiopia put out on 25 Nov is manifestly an unblushing plan to destroy a peace agreement in the name of peace by all standards and not at all remotely a “peace offer” and it is a shame that AngolaPress keeps referring to it as such. Eritrea like the rest of the world is sticking to a binding international peace agreement. If that helps Eritrea to dampen Ethiopia’s sham plan, so be it; because that is how it ought to be. In fact, the UNSC appreciated this Eritrea’s stance in its press release of 21 Dec 2004, wherein it is stated “Members of the Security Council welcome Eritrea’s continued acceptance of the Boundary Commission’s decision”. Now, since when is sticking to the Algiers peace agreement considered as “rejecting the peace offer”, then? The Delimitation and Demarcation decision of the Boundary commission is final, binding, and cannot be dialogued. Apart form that, there is no public record of other dialogue that Eritrea rejected.