ETHIOPIA: War Brewing in the Presidential
Palace
September 21, 2004: Despite Eritrean
hostility, and occasional Eritrean interference (blocking supply routes),
UN peacekeepers continue to patrol the neutral zone between Ethiopia and
Eritrea. But Eritrean president Isayas Afewerki may be taking the
situation further. The four year old truce has not been turned into a permanent
peace, mainly because of Ethiopia's refusal to accept a Boundary
Commission ruling that favored Eritrea. Then there is the resistance from
Eritrea's increasingly erratic and paranoid president. In late September, 2001,
Afewerki shut down all independent newspapers and took over control of the
media. He has jailed thousands of people he suspected of being enemies, or
simply dissidents. This included those he thought hostile to the Eritrean
Orthodox Church. Afewerki led Eritrean rebels in the final stages of their 30
year war to obtain independence from Ethiopia. But that was in 1991, and
Afewerki has proved a better rebel than elected official. Now there is
fear he will restart the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia, as a way to keep
domestic enemies from overthrowing him. Afewerki has angered all of Eritrea's
neighbors, by supporting rebel movements in all those nations.
September 15, 2004: The UN agreed to extend
the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) for another six
months. UNMEE keeps Eritrean and Ethiopian troops apart in a disputed part of
their border. The UN is losing patience with the peace talks (or lack thereof)
between the two nations. Moreover, the UNMEE (with 3,800 personnel), costs
$16.8 million a month to run, and the UN has better things to do with its
money. StrategyPage.com
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Unlimited, high
