"By centering our lives on correct principles and creating a balanced focus between doing and increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in the task of creating effective, useful, and peaceful lives ... for ourselves, and for posterity. " --- Stephen Covey --

I believe the presence of The United Nations (hereafter UN) personnel and the Peace- Keeping Forces( code name - UNMEE) in Eritrea would be a blessing in disguise. I do not see it being a curse, provided that there will not be any long- lasting peaceful settlement between Tigray, the northern province of Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

The Tigriyans (present rulers of Ethiopia) rejected the presence of the peace keeping forces. Eritrea accepted them, because of its desire to secure a permanent demarcation of the border area. The demarcation and delimitation of the 620 miles long border area is the ultimate goal for Eritrea. Hence, Eritrea will have a secured and an ambiguous border with Ethiopia.

It is to be recalled Eritrea is not new to foreigners. Hundreds of years ago, several invading foreigners have set their feet in Eritrea: the Turks (1557-1860), the Egyptians (1860-1888), the Italians (1888-1941), the British (1941-1952) and the Ethiopians (1952-1991). They were colonizers. They did not come to Eritrea to bring peace. They came to invade and to rule over the local population.

Eritrea has learned some lessons from each one of those foreigners. Some had positive influence, and others have negative influence. Especially, Ethiopian rule was the most bizarre and unproductive one. Someone has said, "the Ethiopians made the Eritrean mind and stomach empty." Thus, there was no good thing that came out of Ethiopian rule.

When UNMEE fully deploys its 4,200 troops in Eritrea, hopefully, the 2 ½ -year old war that ate the economies of the two countries, will end with the demarcation of the disputed territories. Therefore, finally, peace may come to the two most wretched countries of the Horn of Africa.

There is some hope that a comprehensive peace agreement will be signed on December 12, 2000, in Algiers, Algeria. The concerned parties: Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Organization of Africa Unity (hereafter OAU), the European Union (hereafter EU), The UN, United States of America (hereafter USA) will be present during the historic signing agreement of the 2 ½ years old conflict, which started on May 6, 1998.

 Therefore, let us hope, against all odds, and wish this agreement will be the last peace agreement to be signed between the two antagonists. Everybody is expecting a positive outcome.

It is expected the President of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, and the Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan, may be present at the signing of the Peace Agreement. This will be a historic meeting. The Horn of Africa may see a new beginning.

If peace is to come to the region, it should only come from within Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea and Ethiopia must be at peace with each other and within themselves and should find a way to solve their problems. The 3rd parties can only be observers and not directly benefactors of the Cessation of Hostilities. They are not the main instruments, but only facilitators.

The OAU, EU, UN and USA do not have a vested interest in the welfare of the two societies. With the exception of the OAU and UN, the others are mainly interested in their vital and national interests. They sell their weapons to let the killing continue. They need new markets to sell their products. They need raw materials to build their economies. As we know, in politics, there are no permanent friends, but permanent national interests.

The UN Security Council has approved the presence of 4,200 of its personnel and troops to be stationed inside Eritrean territory, so that the hostilities of the two countries would come to an end and peace would prevail.

Various officers, emissaries and troops have began arriving in Eritrea. Their main mission is to maintain the Cessation of Hostilities signed between Eritrea and Ethiopia on June 18, 2000. They do not prevent the two parties from fighting. Eritrea and Ethiopia must choose not to fight and maintain the peace accord.

It is good to see the presence of troops and UNMEE personnel from various nationalities coming to Eritrea and moving around Asmara, the western, eastern and southern parts of Eeritrea. It is expected by the first quarter of next year (2001), there will be about 4,200 UN personnel and troops stationed inside Eritrea. Most of the Peace- keeping troops will be in the Temporary Security Zones (hereafter TSZ), which are inside Eritrea.

Some of the UN personnel and soldiers will be in the urban areas of Eritrea, including: Asmara, Dekemhare, Mendefera, Adi Quala, Adi Keyih, Barentu, Om Hajer, Senafe, Asseb and many other peripheral and border areas.

It is a matter of fact that there are many parts of Eastern, Southern and Western Eritrea still under the occupation of the Leaders of Tigray and Ethiopia. The civilian inhabitants, those who did not get a chance to go to the safest areas of Eritrea, are under the brutal rule of the Tigriyan rag-tag soldiers.

Since the invasion of those areas, on May 12, 2000, up to the present time, a lot of damage has been done by the invading forces. Churches, mosques, schools, shops, hospitals, hotels and private homes have been destroyed. Livestock animals have been taken into captivity.

The infrastructure of those areas has been destroyed. A lot of property has been looted. Some have been burned. Some of have been moved to Tigray as a war booty. About 1.5 million Eritreans have been displaced. More than 75,000 Eritreans have been forcefully deported from Ethiopia and Tigray. Their properties have been confiscated. Many Eritreans have lost their businesses. The value of the confiscated property is estimated to be more than $800,000.000.00.

It is also documented by the various humanitarian agencies that hundreds of Eritrean young girls and married women have been raped by the invading army of Tigray. This is the highest crime against civilians and should be punished.

It is possible some of those rape victims may be infected with HIV/AIDS, the scourge of the century, which is prevalent in the invading Ethiopian army. Hence, Eritrean women will have a scar that will not be healed for generations to come.

The 4,200 UN personnel or troops will, on a daily basis, transmit pieces of information and reports about Eritrea and the Eritrean people to their individual families, governments, countries and The UN Headquarters. Some of them will be positive, and others will undoubtedly be critical and negative.

Here are some of the things that the Eritrean government should consider when it comes to the daily interaction with the UN personnel and troops:
 

1. Give UNMEE access to all of the non-sensitive areas and let them move freely and patrol the TSZ
2. Cooperate with the UN personnel on a professional level
3. Coordinate all activities that would facilitate the quick withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territories
4. Show a sense of diplomatic tact that is equal to what is practiced in other places and at higher circles or levels
5. Show a sense of confidence and determination in what should be done
6. Scheduled appointments and commitments given should be respected
7. Set the priorities for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure
8. Avoid any form of bribery, corruption and impropriety
9. Show and tell what has been destroyed by the Weyanes of Tigray and leaders of Ethiopia
10. Explain fully and unequivocally what kind of help would be needed to resuscitate and rebuild the shattered economy
11. Understand that the UN Personnel will not solve all of our problems that we may have with the Weyanes or Ethiopians
12. Watch and monitor that the Eritrean RED SEA COAST should not be a damping site of waste materials
13. Confirm and emphasize that Eritrean customs, religions, traditions and culture are respected by UNMEE
14. Emphasize Eritrea's full determination is to have the border demarcated and delineated. There should not be any compromise on that.
15. Be aware of the need to have a positive image of Eritrea in the world and maintain it
16. Avoid any form of gullibility and stay away from diplomatic traps and gaffes
17. Make it clear there is no substitute to peace and war is not a solution to any border crisis
18. Be flexible when it comes to the essential requests for adjustment and compromise

1. Accept the facts that the UN personnel are not different in any way, shape or form from the rest of the Eritrean people. They are not angles or saints to be worshiped
2. Small children should not consider the UN personnel as aliens from Mars or Jupiter
3. There should not be any sense of dependency or desperation
4. The privacy of the UN personnel, troops and their property should be respected
5. Give answers to pertinent question with confidence and integrity
6. Know that the UN personnel are facilitators of peace, and not peace themselves
7. Understand that each Eritrean will serve as a mirror on the wall to be checked
8. Show a sense of national pride and love of country
9. Learn some of the positive aspects of the UNMEE, not the negative aspects
10. Make it clear that self-sufficiency and self-reliance are the pillars of economic independence
11. Accept the fact that the UN personnel are our quests and should be treated with respect and good hospitality
12. Know that these UN personnel do not perform miracles or magic
13. Show them the positive aspects of our culture, religions, history and spirit of self-reliance
14. Avoid any sense of arrogance and insensitivity
15. There should not be tatter- tale about our domestic problems
16. Young men and women should be careful when it comes to youthful indiscretions and liaisons

1. All Eritrean institution should be respected
2. There should not be any unnecessary intrusion into our national honor and identity
3. Relationships and friendships, if established, should be based on mutual respect and benefits
4. There should not be any manifestation of ethnocentrism or any form of ethnic superiority
5. Accept that the Eritrean people have enough words and means of communication to express themselves
6. The positive, not only the negative, images of Eritrea and the Eritrean people should be emphasized and be reported
7. There should not be any tilting or distorting of facts and figures that seem to favor the Weyanes of Ethiopia
8. The affairs of Eritrea should be given equal and fair treatment when compared to Ethiopia's affairs
9. The presence of the OAU and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Abeba should not have any impact upon the decision making process of the UNMEE Officers
10. The UNMEE officers and personnel should be impartial and fair in the way they report about the situation in Eritrea
11. The UNMEE should enforce the quick withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from occupied and undisputed Eritrean territories
12. The UNMEE should check and clear all of the buried land mines
13. As guests of the Eritrean people, UNMEE should not take the hospitality of the people for granted
14. Payment should be made for any services provided or rendered
15. Any contracts or agreements negotiated with the Eritreans should be kept and respected
16. There should not be any form of espionage and malfeasance
17. There should not be any form of exploitation and intimidation
18. Any misunderstanding or disputes should be resolved by mutual respect, open dialogue and transparency

As I said earlier, the presence of UN personnel and troops in Eritrea will be a blessing in disguise. Here are the possible blessings or benefits:

1. The Eritrean case will be internationalized
2. Eritrean territorial integrity will be maintained and will be respected
3. The OAU, EU, UN, and USA will have a better understanding of the skills and industriousness of the Eritreans
4. Possibly, Eritrea will have 4,200 new UNMEE friends
5. More counties of the world will know, learn, and understand the psyche of Eritrea
6. More Africans, Asians, South Americans and Europeans will learn about the history, culture, religions, geography and economy of Eritrea
7. The Eritrean case will no longer be a hidden agenda and an issue in the corridors of the UN, OAU, EU and USA
8. The EU and the USA will have a better understanding of the 30 - year old struggle of Eritrea
9. More aid and foreign assistance may come to Eritrea
10. The destroyed Eritrean infrastructure will be rebuilt
11. Ultimately, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia will be demarcated and will have visible physical marks to be known for posterity
12. Eritreans who lost properties due to the confiscation by Ethiopian authorities will be compensated
13. Divided Eritrean families will be united. There will not be any Eritrean orphans to be left in Ethiopia and Tigray
14. Displaced Eritreans and refugees will be returned, repatriated and rehabilitated
15. Detained civilians and Prisoners of War (POWs) will be released
16. The psychological wounds of Eritreans will be healed in due time
17. Ethiopia's desire to have an access to the sea will be thwarted
18. The dream of Greater Tigray, at the expense of Eritrea, will be evaporated
19. Many countries and people outside of Eritrea will know about the genesis of the 2 ½ - year old war and its effect on the civilian population
20. The Ethiopian invading troops will withdraw from occupied and undisputed Eritrean territories and the evil actions of the Weyanes will be exposed
21. The fate of Eritrean Quislings and Traitors will be doomed
22. Ethiopia will no longer be the bully of the Horn of Africa
23. The Eritreans will learn some valuable lessons from each one of the 4,2000 UN personnel
24. Some technical skills and know- how will be introduced to Eritrea by UNMEE
25. The future of Eritrea will be brighter and secured
26. The national unity of Eritreans will be strengthened
27. Eritrean institutions may be strengthened, democraticized and be modernized
28. The future of the Eritrean Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice (EPFDJ) will be changed
29. The Eritrean Defense Forces will be strengthened and be modernized. Eritrea will have a better equipped and trained national army
30. Eritreans will learn more about world diplomacy and the interdependence of nations
31. The UN will remain seized by the Eritrean issue
32. The UN cartographers will do a better job in identifying the original boundaries between Eritrea and Ethiopia
33. There may be a long-lasting peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Hopefully, there will not be any future war between the two poorest countries of the Horn of Africa
34. The OAU may redeem itself from being ineffective and can use the Eritrean and Ethiopian Peace Accord card to resolve the other African problems, mainly the ones that are going on in Sierra Leone, Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, The Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
35. Eritrea will be a major power in the Red Sea littoral. Its trade with the Middle East will flourish
36. There may be an overhauling peace process in the entire Horn of Africa
37. New political realignments and rapprochement may be conceivable in the Red Sea area

The confidence level of every Eritrean should be elevated to its highest level. This is an opportune time to reflect and think about our successes and failures and move forward on the road that leads to prosperity and political maturity.

As LaRochefoucauld observed:

"there is a kind of greatness which does not depend upon fortune; it is certain manner that distinguishes, and which seems to destine us for great things; it is the value we insensibly set upon ourselves; it is by this quality, that we gain the deference of other men, and it is this which commonly raises us more above them, than birth, rank, or even merit itself."