Eritrean president blasts US, Ethiopia as Payne pays a visit

January 5, 2007 (ASMARA) — US Congressman Donald Payne held talks in Asmara Thursday with Eritrea’s president Isaias Afwerki who criticized both the United States and his neighbor Ethiopia.

According to official Eritrean sources, the two mainly spoke about the border situation between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Somalia issue and the stance that has been taken by the United States.

“President Isaias went on to underline that the remaining task is the withdrawal of the invading Ethiopian forces from sovereign Eritrean territory. He also reminded the US government to apply pressure on the TPLF regime to withdraw its troops from Eritrean territory,” the official Eritrean government web page said summarizing the topics of discussion.

Payne, who last year introduced and managed to get the controversial bill (HR 2003) relating to Human Rights in Ethiopia pass in Congress, is also described as being sympathetic to Eritrea and very critical of the US administration on the position it has taken regarding the two Horn of Africa countries.

“The United States has consistently taken Ethiopia’s side against Eritrea, [a] population 5 million. And that’s not productive. Right now we’re boxing Eritrea into a corner,” Payne had said.

On one occasion Payne, a Democrat from New Jersey and Chairman of a House subcommittee on Africa, is quoted to have said: “The fact is the Ethiopian government is a source of instability in the region and one of the most repressive regimes in Africa…”

Regarding the border issue, the Eritrean Ministry of Information said: “Congressman Donald Payne explained on his part that it is his conviction and repeatedly stated stance that since the [Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission] EEBC ruling is final and binding, it should be implemented and, as such, the US government is duty bound to put sufficient pressure on the Ethiopian government to bear the EEBC’s ruling,” Shabait.com reported.

Eritrea has persistently maintained that the border issue was a closed case once the boundary commission passed a decision that awarded it the contested town Badme.

Ethiopia has protested the decision and has on its part been calling for talks. According to officials here, the talks have more to do than just demarcation. They say they look to discuss the normalization of the tense relations between the two countries.

Eritrea on the other hand says: “the so-called ‘existing tension between the two countries’ is simply an attempt to escape from this crucial basic point. …Eritrea would not give room at all to any attempt, on the part of the TPLF regime, aimed at diverting the attention of the international community from the basic issue.”

Isaias, according to Shabait. com, also told Payne that the policy pursued by the US government and Ethiopia last year not only failed to produce any outcome but also did not benefit Somalia, Ethiopia, the entire region and even the US government.

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of waging a proxy war against it in Somalia and holds it as a major cause that led to its intervention in its neighboring country which has been stateless since 1991.

Donald Payne is said to have agreed that the policy pursued so far did not bear fruit, and that the Ethiopian forces should withdraw from Somalia. “This is the sole option that would lay the groundwork for a Somali solution,” the Congressman is quoted.

Isaias laid all blame on Washington for the strained relation with his administration.
“I think it is a relationship that we hope will improve as we move forward. I think that it should and it could,” Payne said.

(ST)