The chapter of L. Axworthy closed, says Eritrea’s president
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul
19, 2004 - In
a live interview he gave to the Eritrean television and the Voice of the Broad
Masses of Eritrea last night, President Isayas Afewerki said the situation
between Eritrea and Ethiopia was turning into a very dangerous one, and called
on the international community to stop raising side issues, and ensure the
immediate implementation of the ruling by the [Eritrea-Ethiopia] Boundary
Commission [EEBC].
Noting that
calls for dialogue and the issue of a special envoy in a legally settled issue
was aimed at undermining the role of the international commission and
subsequently killing the boundary ruling and putting the Eritrean and Ethiopian
peoples into an endless game, President Isayas stressed that no alternative
would enable the Eritrean and Ethiopian peoples to live in peace apart from a
speedy implementation of the final and binding verdict. Indicating that the [UN
secretary-general's] special envoy could not be a replacement of the EEBC and
its ruling, President Isayas disclosed that the chapter of the special envoy
was closed following the recent visit of the UN secretary-general [to Eritrea].
Explaining that
the weyane [Ethiopian government] could not survive in a normal political
environment in Ethiopia and would not have a place in future political
developments in Ethiopia, President Isayas said nobody should be surprised by
the regime's adventurism, adding that the weyane considered war as a principal
alternative. Recalling that the international community was obliged to ensure
the implementation of the agreement it witness being signed as final and
binding, he called on the international community to take appropriate measures
to avert war. He made it clear that America should particularly play its role
in the issue.
Reiterating that
nothing could push Eritrea into war as long as the pretext for war was settled
in a legal manner, President Isayas said Eritrea's choice was the respect of
law. However, he said, the situation would not remain the same as long as our
territory remained under occupation. [Passage omitted: on development campaign,
market situations]
Source: Voice of
the Broad Masses of Eritrea, Asmara, in Tigrinya 0930 gmt 19 Jul 04
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