Eritrea defends snub of US peace mission
Jan 23, 2006 (ASMARA) — Eritrea has defended its decision to snub a senior US diplomat who sought to visit its tense border with Ethiopia last week in a bid to avert a new war between the arch-rival Horn of Africa neighbors, according to a document seen Monday.
In an editorial posted to the information ministry’s website, Asmara heaped scorn on the proposed trip by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, saying there was no reason for her “diplomatic sojourn” as the main bone of contention between Eritrea and Ethiopia was well known.
Eritrea has long warned that a resumption in the bloody two-year conflict is looming because of Ethiopia’s refusal to accept a three-year-old border demarcation both nations had agreed to respect as part of the 2000 peace deal that ended the conflict.
“It is well known by now that the Eritrea-Ethiopia issue involves no debatable matter, need for renewed negotiation or agenda item for discussion other than border demarcation on the basis of the delimitation decision adopted by an independent international commission,” the information ministry said.
“There is no justification at all to engage in ‘diplomatic’ sojourn or search for any other so-called alternative mechanism in place of legality, the rule of law and implementation of the decisions already reached but take the initiative aimed at implementing the boundary commissions ruling,” it said.
“After all, the Eritrea-Ethiopia issue does not involve ‘debate’ but about which ‘jurisdiction’ has already been given, one that only calls for ‘enforcement’ as opposed to ‘arbitration’, and an issue that calls for ‘forceful implementation of decision reached’ as opposed to a ‘diplomatic journey’,” it said.
The statement, posted at the weekend, did not mention Frazer by name but was a clear rebuke to Washington which had announced her trip to the region with great fanfare earlier this month before being forced to cancel her stop in Eritrea when authorities in Asmara refused to “facilitate” her visit.
Instead, Frazer travelled to Ethiopia where she went to the border on Thursday before meeting Prime Minister Meles Zenawi the next day and going on to Khartoum to attend a summit of African Union leaders on Monday.
UN peackeepers last week reported that Eritrea and Ethiopia were continuing to blame each other for the deadlock over the border with the Eritreans renewing longstanding complaints that the UN Security Council is biased in favor of its much-larger neighbor.
The UN Security Council has threatened sanctions against both countries if they do not reduce troop levels on the border and against Eritrea alone if it does not lift restrictions imposed on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).
Asmara maintains the UNMEE restrictions, which include a ban on helicopter flights and the expulsion of all the mission’s North American and European staff from its territory, are a side issue and that the real cause of the stalemate is Ethiopia’s refusal to accept the border demarcation.
(ST)