Eritrea/Ethiopia: Algiers Peace Accord prevails

 

By Team EritreaDaily

6 Jan 2005

 

Despite and in spite of Ethiopia’s defiant and one of a series of an all out attack that it launched on X-Mas Day 2004 and the fan fare, media hoopla, and the diplomatic trickery that surrounded it, the one and only established and patented Mechanism to bring peace & stability between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Algiers peace accord prevailed, indeed to no one’s surprise. It is final, firm, and once again it stands: The Algiers peace accord has been re-certified as the only standard for peace & stability between Eritrea, Ethiopia and beyond, against all odds.

 

Eritrea had neither to accept nor to reject the “proposal” but if necessary to unmask it and to expose its barefaced and brazen attempts to renege on a binding international agreement and its blatant defiance of a legal ruling of an international court, for Eritrea has long accepted the border decision beyond any doubt of equivocation in strict compliance with Algiers and the incessant calls of the international community for that. And Eritrea did just that aptly, for which it even earned praise from UN Security Council in its most recent press release wherein it was stated “ Members of the Council welcome Eritrea’s continued acceptance of the Boundary Commission’s decision”.

 

Except for cheering and applauding for the obvious like “ peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes” or “dialogue and negotiation to resolve disputes/conflicts instead of war” maxims and even for Ethiopia’s sole readiness to meet and fulfill long overdue treaty obligations, not one single member of the international community at large even remotely equivocated the integrity of Algiers or the inviolability of the decision of the Boundary Commission.

 

The UN impersonated by Secretary General Annan expressed its serious concern about and warned of the possible consequences of a protracted stalemate in the peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia and hence called for the enforcement of the rule of law and the implementation of binding agreements/treaties in this matter both in terms of stability on the ground and as a matter of precedence – Annan, 16 December 2004.

 

The UN Security Council reiterated its firm commitment to the Algiers peace accord and called upon both nations to restate the same unequivocally in spite of its cheers for the obvious, in its most recent press release on 21 Dec 2004.

 

The United States, only major power that didn’t even bother to cheer or applaud the obvious, made its firm commitment to Algiers clear by referring to its press statement issued on 21 January 2004, wherein the same is stated. And as if that were not enough, the US dispatched a high-level emissary to assure Eritrea’s head of state in person about that.

 

The European Union (EU) even went to the extent of issuing a second press statement only to reiterate its equally firm commitment to Algiers, again regardless of its cheers for the obvious.

 

Yemen’s president Salih, influential member of the so-called trio that comprises Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopa and one who appeals to all involved, made no secret of his commitment to Algiers when he declared “ in order for secure peace and stability to prevail in the region, it is imperative to abide by international laws and rulings”, despite of his cheers for the obvious and in a warped reference to Algiers - Sanaa on 11 Dec 2004.

 

And today, Ethiopian TV reported that, “ while delivering President Mua'amar Qadhafi's message to Prime Minister Meles, Libya’s special envoy for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ali al-Tiriki, said Libya is desirous for the peaceful resolution of the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and that Libya has no other stand other than resolving any conflict through peaceful means”. Here again, Libya shrewdly dodging Ethiopia’s destructive plan by cheering and restating the obvious like all other nations.  

 

In light of that and notwithstanding size, shape, color, redundancy, and other flaws of the packaging in which it was delivered, critique of which is legitimate and people are well entitled to nitpick and flyspeck that for whatever motive, for the objective observer, the underlying purpose and intention of the most recent interview that Eritrea’s prez gave was to echo the sentiment and stance of the int’l community regarding Eritrea and Ethiopia: There is no alternative to the Algiers peace agreement hence Ethiopia must comply. Ethiopia got the message; a day later, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement but, not surprisingly, Ethiopia remained as defiant as ever before: It is Ethiopia’s way (“proposal”) or war, the response.

 

Cataclysm in the magnitude of the Tsunami waves no doubt is of paramount concern of each and every human being on earth and deserves utmost attention of all and every global organizations, but as far as Ethiopia is concerned it is a welcome diversion from the focus on its overt defiance of the rule of law, its disrespect and contempt for binding international agreement and the decision of an international court, which would have engaged the int’l community otherwise. To Ethiopia, it is sadly a welcome breather, so to speak. Already, Ethiopia’s PM has been scheduled to appear on a special edition of BBC’s radio journal “Talking Points” to speak about something else, his country’s perpetual food crisis.

 

Nevertheless and against all odds, the status of the Algiers peace accord remains active, intact, and in very good standing. Although sabotage, filibuster tactics, real politics and even unforeseen natural disasters may delay its implementation, it is inevitable, for it is utterly inconceivable that the int’l community would let might prevail over the rule of law.