From: freweini@embassyeritrea.org
Date: Sat Dec 05 2009 - 11:08:03 EST
Letter from H.E. Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of
Eritrea, to Foreign Ministers of the 15 member countries of the United Nations
Security Council
December 1, 2009
Excellency,
Allow me to avail of the occasion to extend to your Excellency my warmest
greetings and best wishes for the good health of your person.
It is with dismay that I have learned that the Security Council is entertaining
a draft resolution calling to place sanctions against Eritrea based on
groundless accusations and without ascertaining the facts.
I would like to bring to your attention the following facts pertaining to the
issues at hand.
The draft text, noting more than a collection of unfounded grievances of its
authors, namely, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti, which now seems to have
informally found its way to members of the Security Council through Uganda, a
non-permanent member of the Council, is just an extension of the smear campaign
that these states have embarked on against Eritrea.
The call for sanction by the “Peace and Security Council” of the AU was made in
a hush-hush manner in the absence of an overwhelming majority of Heads of State
and Government. Therefore, at the resolution was devoid of consensus, in a
grave breach of procedure, the initiators tiptoed around the AU Chairman in
passing the “decision” to the Security Council. Hence, has been categorically
opposed by the Libyan Arab Republic, the current AU Chairman. This will,
undoubtedly, set in a dangerous precedent in the conduct of inter-state
relations and might exacerbate the instability of an already conflict-ridden
region, if left to continue.
Eritrea has condemned the illegal invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia. As IGAD
endorsed this invasion we were left with no option but to opt out of the
gathering that approves the invasion of one of its own member state.
Due to the complicated and intricate ethnic make up of the region, the
interference of Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti in the internal affairs of Somalia
should not be welcomed. These countries, which perceive the reconstitution of
Somalia as a threat and their policies militate against it. Eritrea, however,
works towards the reconstitution of a strong and viable Somalia, which will
greatly contribute to the peace and security of the region and beyond.
Eritrea does not favour or support a military solution, nor does it favour one
party over the other. Eritrea firmly holds that a durable and sustainable
solution requires the participation of all key Somali actors in an inclusive
political process. To that end, Eritrea has been engaged with key countries
and regional and international organizations in an effort to create an
environment conducive to an inclusive process.
Therefore, it is only these legitimate concerns and independent views of Eritrea
that have bothered and have promoted the initiators of this draft text to dwell
on false allegations.
Excellency,
Ethiopia continues to occupy sovereign Eritrean territory in violation of the UN
Charter and International law. It has also flagrantly refused to adhere to a
Security Council resolution to undo its illegal settlements on sovereign
Eritrean territory. In spite of all these violations, no measure was
entertained against Ethiopia, and keeps on derailing the legal process
unabated.
Therefore, I wish to seize this occasion to stress the importance of the final
and binding demarcation decision if peace and stability is to take root in the
region. Not only it is important on its own merit, but it is at the heart of
the turbulent situation in the Horn of Africa, including the current difficult
relations between Eritrea and Djibouti.
These false accusations have been going on for some time without any tangible
evidence. The malevolent objectives of this whole exercise is that Ethiopia,
which has been designated, along with Kenya, as the “Anchor State” by the
United States for East Africa, in futile attempt, want to make the
international community accessory of its dangerous designs of weakening the
State and people of Eritrea as it has done in Somalia.
Therefore, I wish to call upon your Excellency to seriously examine the flouting
of the rule of law and scrub this profoundly malevolent intent.
I assure you, Excellency, should the said draft text is taken seriously and
leads to the intended punishment, it would simply be counter productive to the
peace and security of the region.
Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Osman Saleh
Minister
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