Statement of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Peace Process
The Cabinet of Ministers released a statement on the current status of the OAU peace plan following a meeting it held in Asmara yesterday, March 20, 2000.
Regarding the peace process for the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Cabinet noted that the Eritrean Government has accepted without equivocation and from the outset, the OAU peace plan. In this spirit, Eritrea has been cooperating unreservedly for its implementation. On the contrary, the TPLF regime has now formally rejected the Technical Arrangements, which were submitted by the OAU as a non-amendable document. The TPLF's intransigence has thus rendered fruitless the tireless efforts exerted by the OAU and its partners for the last seven months.
Although the peace process has reached a deadlock due to the TPLF's obstruction of the plan, the Cabinet of Ministers expressed Eritrea's readiness to cooperate in ongoing efforts in view of the OAU decision to continue its work. In order to insure the success of the new round of efforts the Cabinet of Ministers said that:
1. The OAU should officially announce that the Technical Arrangements, which had been submitted as non-amendable, are now open for discussion by both sides since the TPLF has rejected the original document.
2. Accordingly, the Government of Eritrea accepts, in principle, the convention of proximity talks between the two parties. However, in order for the talks to be serious and productive, the specific issues for discussion as well as the format modalities of the discussion must be fully clarified in advance.
Over the past 18 months, the TPLF has categorically rejected any requests by the OAU, the United States and other partners for talks between the two parties whether direct or by proxy. The Cabinet of Ministers warned that unless a conducive environment is insured now, the envisaged proxy talks risk being manipulated by the TPLF and ending in another stalemate.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara Tuesday, March 21, 2000