Press Release
Ethiopia's Campaign of Slander Continues
The TPLF regime has intensified its campaign of hate and slander in spite of a verbal commitment to the OAU "to refrain from any action and statement which could complicate matters and jeopardize the establishment of the atmosphere of serenity which is required for the implementation of the Framework Agreement and the Modalities."
Two days after the OAU had issued a statement on the acceptance of both parties of the Modalities of Implementation (MOI) and the Framework Agreement and on the outcome of the shuttle of the OAU envoy, Ethiopia's state-controlled media have yet to inform their domestic audience. Instead, the TPLF propaganda machine is busy heaping insults on Eritrea and fabricating groundless accusations to inflame public opinion.
To this end, the TPLF regime has accused Eritrea in the past two days of obstructing access to their embassy in Asmara and of detaining "1,500 Ethiopians in Awashait prison alone."
But the true facts are:
* It is Ethiopia which has not only expelled Eritrea's Ambassador to
the OAU but also ransacked his residence in violation of the Vienna
Conventions. Ethiopia also illegally detained, by breaking into the
embassy premises, the guard of the Embassy in contravention of
established diplomatic conventions and tortured him for five months.
* Eritreans in Ethiopia have been deprived of any consular protection
for more than thirteen months now. Any Eritrean approaching the embassy
for routine consular service is routinely detained. Even Eritrea's
Ambassador was shadowed around the clock with five security cars.
Eritrea has not resorted to these practices although it could do so on
the basis of reciprocity.
* Over 1,500 Eritreans remain in jail--without any process of law--for
almost a year now. These innocent Eritreans, who were detained either
because they were former fighters, had done military service at some
time, or simply because "they are of military age," were jailed at
Fiche, and later the infamous, malaria-infested Blaten concentration
camp. They were moved to a new concentration camp recently.
* Over 1,000 Eritreans remain missing with their whereabouts unknown.
* Over 15,000 Eritreans whose business licenses have been revoked
and/or who have been fired from employment because of their ethnicity
remain stranded in destitute conditions in Addis Abeba and elsewhere in
Ethiopia because the TPLF regime refuses to let them go.
* Eritrea, to the contrary, does not have a policy of detaining
Ethiopians of military age. The ICRC has unhindered access to
investigate allegations of civilian detainees. There is no prison in
Awashait and the ICRC have been invited to visit this or any other
place of Ethiopia's wild allegations.
* Eritrea's policy of respecting the fundamental rights of Ethiopians
in Eritrea is in fact enshrined in the Parliamentary Resolution of 26
June 1998 which reads, inter alia, "The National Assembly has asserted
that in contrast to the inhuman policy of the Ethiopian government, the
Eritrean government has not, and will not, take any hostile action
against Ethiopians residing in the country. Their right to live and
work in peace is guaranteed. If this right is infringed under any
circumstances or by any institution, they have the full rights of
redress. This policy that can see a horizon beyond the conflict of
today will not change even if the current crisis deteriorates to any
degree."
* Eritrea has no policy of obstructing the voluntary departure of
Ethiopians nor of detaining them because they are "of military age."
Ethiopians are free to leave Eritrea and this is done through
registration with the ICRC to verify that departure is due to their own
volition.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 28 July 1999