The United States as the only effective superpower left today, with the instinct to police the world and with two of its declared allies at loggerheads failed to dissuade Ehiopia in its border conflict with Eritrea.
First, with the U.S.- Rwanda peace proposal led by Ms Susan Rice, then a series of shuttle diplomacy conducted under the leadership of ex national security advisor, Mr. Anthony Lake, all came to a dead end and finally to a renewed outbreak of hostilities .Did Mr.Lake put forward fresh ideas? Was there any other premeditated plan as to where the dialogue shall lead? If yes, who designed that scheme? Was he accountable to other state organs besides the President. Further questions could be raised. Time will categorically reveal them all. More was expected of a highly skilled diplomat of the calibre of Mr. Anthony Lake ; and for that matter of The United States itself.
So what went wrong? As it has been argued in this forum and elsewhere it is not difficult to assume that both Eritrea and Ethiopia do not pose any threat to the interests of the United States in any foreseeable future. When President Clinton was touring Africa last year, PARTNERSHIP was the buzzword spearheaded by Eritrea for a renewed relationship between Africa and The United States. This by itself raised high hopes among activists and the business community at large only to be doomed by the Woyane dreams and schemes; and of course, by their cohorts.
The containment of Soviet expansion has been the cornerstone of American foreign policy. By the same token the foreign policy experts or bureaucrats were molded in terms of cold war politics. Now the Soviet Union is as good as The Dergue.- Sooner or latter some ones dream will gale away. How many have adjusted to the new emerging realities? Can they be effective? let alone lead to resolve crisis defined outside familiar parameters?
The former President, Mr. Bush ostentatiously used to talk about The New World Order. But it was mere polemics that doesn't mean more than a world less a Soviet Union which was then like present day Ethiopia without The Woyane. If there were a well thought-of foreign policy why The ex Soviet republics especially Russia are in such a mess whose gravity has global repercussions? Well.. ...well as we go down the list of the US strategic interests.... tiny Eritrea... where is it?.. is it in Pennsylvania?
So Mr.Lake and most of the State Department officials are just dealing with unfamiliar problems and unexpected flow of ideas Having said that, it is not to be overtly optimist not to question the integrity of those high level bureaucrats despite our experiences in the past. The Eurocentric mentality that there is in the West cannot easily absorb the challenges that a tiny nation, half the size of New York State, poses to be counted as a real sovereign state. What is BAYTO democracy? what is FETHI? What is your private sector ..DO you have NGO's... I am confused ...what is your religion?..
Shortly after Mr.Lake returned to Washington empty handed, The State Department issued travel warning to and from Eritrea and Ethiopia. This was followed by another communiqu^? from The White House, but with a different tone. In fact, wasn't President Clinton who personally arranged for a moratorium on air strikes June of last year? On the other hand, it is not a secret what the role of the American ambassador in Finfine -A.A-was behind closed doors. Of course, he reports directly to The State Department. This clearly shows a big discrepancy of policy. To give the benefit of doubt to SD., if the ambassador was acting on his own will, it can only be concluded that there is a huge policy vacuum. Such policy vacuum can be exploited by anyone who happens to be there even if it is detrimental to the long term interests of The United States let alone the millions who suffer its consequences.
So if those bureaucrats direcly responsible for those issues at hand cannot or do not implement the wishes of the President who is himself involved with other problems high on his agenda, who is to do the job? Well to make things worse there is also Monica. Rumors are coming far from the trenches of AdiGrat , that Chairman Asrat is going to name one street in Edaga Arbi after the diversionary character Ms.Lewinsky. Don't ask when, but he is about to be the mayor of Asmara. .... In your......
After the Woyane took over power do I need to stress with the decisive role played by the gallant ELA, ERITREAN LIBERATION ARMY, and the Eritrean community at large-- they systematically and coercively took control of state power filling in the void left by the Dergue. Hence their will became the will of Ethiopia, their dream that of Ethiopia too; and now their destruction that of Talakwa Ethiopia. Sounds familiar? doesn't it ? this pattern is commonly seen in the third world? But such phenomenon, even from a different perspective is also manifested in the so called advanced nations.
When there is a policy vacuum in any state whether advanced or not someone has to fill the void. The experts the post modern clergy who claim or pose to know the cures to all ills are summoned upon; and their opinions, biases even animosities become the policies of the departments, organs of governments or organizations they are called to lead. Say for instance, someone is presented to the SD as an expert of East African politics; in critical situations such as the present conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia even the Kissingers have to tread their,the experts', lead. The logical question that follows is how much damage can those so called experts cause because they lack real competence, or are manipulated by outside forces etc before a team takes over to have a sober look at the given problem?.
(To be continued )
AWET N SEB TENAT
Haileab Luul Tesfai
Toronto,Canada.