Press Release
Algiers Peace Talks End Without Success Due to Ethiopia's Refusal to Sign OAU Peace Plan and Ceasefire

The Special Envoy of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Current Chairman, Ahmed Ouyahia, held separate talks in Algiers between April 30 and May 5 with the delegations of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Special envoys of the United States and the European Union also had separate discussions with both sides.
In these talks, Eritrea reaffirmed its acceptance of the three peace documents of the OAU, namely the Framework Agreement, the Modalities of Implementation, and the Technical Arrangements. Eritrea's Foreign Minister, Haile Woldensae, reiterated Eritrea's readiness to sign the three documents and move on immediately to implementation.
Eritrea also affirmed that if Ethiopia persisted in its rejection of the Technical Arrangements, Eritrea would be ready to sign the first two documents, i.e., the Framework Agreement and the Modalities, which constitute the substance of the OAU peace plan and which were endorsed by the OAU Summit, and to negotiate in earnest to work out the details of implementation. The Framework Agreement stipulates that talks on implementation "would start as soon as the documents are signed" (Article 9).
Eritrea also affirmed its acceptance of an immediate ceasefire which the OAU documents call for as a first step. Indeed, the first article of the Framework Agreement states: "The two parties commit themselves to an immediate cessation of hostilities."
Unfortunately, Ethiopia has categorically refused to sign the Framework Agreement and the Modalities although it had been claiming that it had accepted them. Ethiopia also rejected an immediate ceasefire. This Ethiopian position was communicated to Eritrea by the OAU Special Envoy Mr. Ouyahia.
This means that Ethiopia, having rejected the details and sequencing of implementation incorporated in the Technical Arrangements, has also refused to accept the Framework and the Modalities which constitute the basis for any implementation plan. The Ethiopian double talk that it has "accepted" the two documents but will not sign them simply does not wash. Refusal to accept a ceasefire, which is a key provision of the peace plan, is further evidence of Ethiopia's ploy of declaring one thing and doing another, of claiming to accept in words and rejecting in action.
Despite Ethiopia's refusal to sign the documents and its rejection of a ceasefire, Eritrea remains committed to peace and will continue its cooperation with the OAU and its partners, the United States and the European Union, whose efforts it appreciates. Eritrea in particular wishes to express its appreciation for the rigorous efforts that the Current Chairman of the OAU and his special envoy have exerted in the past eight months to bring about peace.
Ethiopia's refusal to sign the OAU peace documents and a ceasefire agreement is only proof of its desire to go to war at a time when millions of people are facing starvation and the international community has launched a huge humanitarian rescue operation to stave off death by famine.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 5 May 2000