Coming next week, it will be 22 months, since Ethiopia had declared its war of aggression against Eritrea. Ever since, Ethiopia has never produced a single proposal to end its war against Eritrea, but prevarication in order to ensure the continuation of war.

The international community, represented by the UN, OAU, EU and the USA had been engaged in the peacefully settlement of this senseless conflict. From the beginning, Eritrea has been co-operating with everyone interested in the peaceful resolution of this senseless conflict. Eritrea had put forward proposals, which had eventually become the cardinal bases of the OAU peace proposal for the Ethio/Eritrea conflict resolution. Furthermore, Eritrea, the unwilling party to this senseless conflict, has been asked, in good faith to the OAU, to make concessions after concessions.

In the contrary, Ethiopia's position has been and still is, to impede peace and advocate the continuation of war. The international mediators, who have been bargaining on Ethiopia's empty promises of 'ifs and buts', had ultimately faced the dashing of hopes and expectations, and where eventually accused by Ethiopia of "not following the path to peace". Mr. Anthony Lake, President Clinton's chief negotiator on the Ethiopia-Eritrea, on September 18, 1999, told a reporter from the Boston Globe, "Ethiopia is expected to decide in days whether to sign or reject a cease-fire deal". Mr Lake, who was given such "authoritative" empty promises by Ethiopian official, has evidently misplaced his trust on Ethiopia's gesture politics. Similarly, exactly last year, OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, "had no doubt that the Ethiopians will accept the OAU peace plan". A year past, Ethiopia has not signed the cease-fire and it has not accepted the OAU peace plan. Ethiopia has been proven time and again not be trustworthy, let alone to be doubtful of its promises.

Then again, it is encouraging to see the OAU and USA mediators, in spite of everything, engaged in resolving this senseless conflict peacefully. Words such as "the mediators will be in the area as long as it takes until the conflict is resolved" and "the OAU is determined to do its utmost and persevere to solve the dispute" are indeed consoling. But, considering that similar words had been said by OAU officials a year earlier, that goes as: ''the OAU and especially through its high-level delegation, will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of its objective of bringing about a lasting peace between the two countries'', one wonders if such soft words would be effective in achieving the stated objective.

Consequently, it would be impossible not to ask the question, what can be done in bringing the efforts of the mediators to its successful conclusion.

The way forward in the peace process is to identify the impasse and target the party that is associated with it. The Technical Arrangement [TA], which is one of the three documents for the peaceful resolution of this senseless conflict, has been detailed on the basis of the letter and spirit of the principles contained in the OAU Framework Agreement [FA] and the Implementation Modalities [IM]. The Technical Arrangements [TAs] are the result of collective work of the OAU, the United Nations, the United States and other interested partners. From its inception the TA has been declared as non-amenable and its interpretation to fall within the exclusive competence of the OAU and its chairman. As a result, it has being hailed by the international community as the sole means to resolve this senseless conflict. Unlike Ethiopia, Eritrea has accepted the entire OAU peace package [FA, IM and TA] and has set up a high level ministerial committee for the implementation of the peace package. It has been categorically established long time now, the impasse in the peace process is the rejection of the TA by Ethiopia.

Following the identification of the impasse and the party associated with it and taking into consideration the length of time that has been spent in shuttle diplomacy, it is high time to apply pressure on the party that is impeding peace. This week, Eritreans in Diaspora and the peace loving people world-wide have extended their message of peace to their Ethiopian brothers and sisters, they have expressed Eritrea's commitment to peace and they have called upon the international community to put pressure on Ethiopia to accept peace in order to make 2000 Year of peace in Africa.

Failing that, the efforts of the international mediators will remain in vain. The people of Ethiopia and Eritrea will be denied the peaceful coexistence they deserve. The development of the two sisterly poor nations will be hampered. The epidemic of AIDS that is rampaging the region will go on unchecked. The starvation and drought that is threatening millions of lives will be exacerbated. And the region stability of the Horn will be worsened.

Final words of wishes, let there be peace in our region.

God Bless.