On October 1, 1999, at the 54th Session of the UN, Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopia's foreign minister, was able to do what the Eritrean Government could not do for the past 17 months: prove to the world that the Ethiopian Government is NOT interested in peace. He demonstrated, albeit unknowingly, that it is the Ethiopian government's fatal "suferiority complex" that is prolonging a simple border dispute to carry on for months on end.

Surely you know that the Ethiopian Government is suffering from a hitherto undiagnosed-thus no cure-n-malady. It is a combination of superiority and inferiority complex--call it "suferiority complex". On the one hand, there is this inflated sense of importance: Ethiopia, goes the myth, is one of the oldest nations on earth. It is a founding member of the UN and the OAU. It is the only African State that was never colonized. It is the first black nation that has defeated a succession of white powers--repeatedly. It has its own calendar. It has its own alphabets. Therefore, it is entitled to act like a superpower-keeping the neighborhood in check, slapping bullies silly, playing realpolitck, and hobnobbing with VIPs at the Addis Sheraton

When the real superpowers don't treat it like one, it acts all hurt and shattered. The real superpowers-the G7 plus China and Russia-look at Ethiopia's pitiful vital statistics: its 125/1000 child mortality rate, its 35% literacy rate, its abject poverty, its chronic famine that threatens almost 10% of its population. Then they look at its allocation of over half a billion dollars to war armaments from a budget revenue of one billion-and they say, " Ethiopia, get real. Feed your people."

Here's where the other Ethiopian complex kicks in. Call it Gebru Astratism-in "honor" of Gebru Asrat, the angry Governor of the State of Tigray-the State that breeds the legendary chip on the shoulder of Seyoum Mesfin, Ate Abbai, and Meles Zenawi. Oh, the Eritreans look down on us; they think they are better than we are; they don't even consider themselves Africans. And therefore? Therefore, we shall teach them a lesson they will never forget. We will break their spine. We will wage wars to last generations.

ETHIOPIA'S PRAISE OF THE OAU: DISINGENEOUS

Going back to His Excellency "The Chosen Leader" [thanks to a recent article by Ghidewon Abay Asmerom, we now know that the self-selected name of Ethiopia's Foreign Minister, "Seyoum Mesfin" means, literally, the "Chosen Leader" which tells us volumes about the state of mind of the Gang of Six now running Ethiopia.] In his address at the UN, the Chosen Leader lashed out at everything--dead and living, animate and inanimate. He lashed out at the UN because the organization just wouldn't see things his way and find Eritrea guilty of aggression and mete out the prescribed penalty. At the same time, he disingenuously praised the OAU. The Chosen leader's praise of the OAU is disingenuous because Ethiopia has rejected not only the OAU's "Technical Arrangements" but the foundation of the "Framework Agreement" as well, specifically its call to Eritrea and Ethiopia to "commit themselves to an immediate cessation of hostilities."

More importantly, the OAU did not concur with Ethiopia's claim that the events of May 12, 1998 were "unprovoked" and thus an "aggression." As the OAU said in its introduction to its Framework Agreement: " We have also been led to the conclusion that the events prior to those of 6 - 12 May 1998 contributed to the gradual deterioration of the relations between the two countries. In the pursuit of justice and equity, it also seems indispensable that appropriate inquiries be carried out on the events between 6 - 12 May 1998 and those that preceded them such as the incidents that took place in July and August 1997. Those inquires will make it possible to pinpoint the responsibilities for the deterioration of the situation between the two countries." In other words, Ethiopia's assertion that it is OK to annex neighboring territory as long as you do it a meter a week but it is "aggression" when you take over hundreds of squares of kilometers has no validity.

Unless Ethiopia is now claiming that Algeria is not part of the OAU, the OAU has submitted a peace proposal to both parties. Notwithstanding the Foreign minister's Song and Dance, the facts are as follows: Eritrea has accepted the OAU proposals in the entirety; Ethiopia has not. Instead of singing songs of praise to the OAU, if Ethiopia is truly interested in African solutions for African problems, Ethiopia should simply accept the OAU peace package.

AFRICA'S MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The "Chosen Leader" also pays lip service to the popular view that Africans should solve their own problems. Unfortunately, this was yet another disingenuous statement to make. It was Eritrea-and not Ethiopia-that tried to contain the border dispute. It was Eritrea that attempted to solve the problem at a Heads of State level when President Isaias sent Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles two letters in mid-1997 expressing his concern about the deteriorating border issue. It was Eritrea-not Ethiopia-which recommended the setting up of the Commission. On the other hand, it was Ethiopia-not Eritrea-which brought the issue to the attention of the world requiring the mediation of non-Africans. Moreover, Eritrea's attempts to contain it to a bilateral basis are now being used against it: "if your border was transgressed, why didn't you complain earlier?" And so, if a conflict arises between two African nations, the lesson they will draw from the Eritrea-Ethiopia conflict is BE THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN AND TO COMPLAIN LOUDLY.

That is the Ethiopian Legacy to conflict resolution, African Style. Ethiopia has spoken. It is time for the UN, its Security Council and the EU to speak. But to speak in a language Ethiopia understands: threats. Threats of a trade embargo, threats of withholding welfare. That is the only way to get the attention of the Ethiopian Government.