ERINA Update
(Eritrean News Agency,
Tel: ++291-1-117627, Fax: 127385)
Thursday, August 26, 1999
Clarifications Received; Still
No Response from Addis
The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement today
noting that Ethiopia has yet to accept the technical arrangements despite
having received its requested clarifications on Monday. The statement today
follows a meeting between OAU Special Envoy Ahmed Ouyahya and President
Isaias Afwerki yesterday. The OAU envoy presented a copy of the clarifications
given to Ethiopia to the Eritrean government. Eritrea accepted the technical
arrangements when they were submitted two weeks ago.
"Ethiopia Is Holding Peace Hostage,"
Official Says
A senior official in the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Girma
Asmerom, has scoffed at claims by the Ethiopian government that "given
the Ethiopian government's commitment to democratic procedures and consensus
building within the decision making process, it is customary to discuss
important matters before making official pronouncements." Girma said, "It
is curious that Ethiopia contends it cannot now accept the technical arrangements
without 'democratic process' and without putting such decisions through
parliament when, in fact, Prime Minister Meles accepted the entire Framework
Agreement when it was presented to him in November of 1998 through a speech
to the Central Summit. Certainly the Ethiopian parliament did not hold
an extraordinary session in Ouagadougou then. Neither did the Meles government
consult the parliament or cabinet for endorsement when it accepted the
modalities for implementation in Algeria last month. These two documents
constituted the bulk and underlying guidelines for the peace package whereas
the current technical arrangements are just the details of what has already
been agreed. This is all child's play by the government in Addis so they
can continue to hold peace hostage."