Demarcation is the only Viable Option for Peace In the
Border Dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea
By Ogbazgy Abbay Asmerom
November 1, 2003
There is no other alternative to the demarcation of the Ethio-Eritrean border.
The demarcation of the Border between Eritrea and Ethiopia is the only viable
option that could lead to the sustainable mode of development and lasting peace
in the Horn of Africa. More than anything else, the Horn of Africa needs peace.
The Horn of Africa has been known for its turmoil and instability for many years.
The source and cause for the distress in the area is Ethiopia. Ethiopia has
become the destabilizing force in the whole region. Ethiopia is the “sick man”
of the area. Unfortunately, when “Ethiopia sneezes”, it is obvious that “the
Horn of Africa catches cold.”
War is not an option for Eritrea, even though Ethiopia continues to beat the
drum of the wrong marching band. Ethiopia may afford to spend the lives of millions
of Oromos, Amharas, Guragies, Kambatas, Welaytas, Somalis, and other minorities
in a useless war. That is not the case for Eritrea. Eritrean life is precious.
Eritrean blood will not be spilled in vain.
Eritrea has chosen the best option. That is Demarcation. There is no substitute
to a clearer demarcation. There is no back door diplomacy or alternative way
to the process of demarcation. There is no need for a dialogue with Ethiopia
before the complete demarcation of the whole border. Ethiopian troops and Tigrayan
squatter settlers must get out of all occupied Eritrean land. For Eritrea, Demarcation
is the priority, not dialogue.
At this time, some evil agents of the Ethiopian government, mainly the Weyanies
of Tigray and their Amhara cohorts, are insisting on having a dialogue with
Eritrea. Dialogue for what? We all know, in the past, the Ethiopian government
did not want any dialogue with Eritrea before the demise of the Eritrean People’s
Front for Democracy and Justice (EPFDJ) and the downfall of the Eritrean Government.
It should be known to everyone that it is the EPFDJ that is the ruling party
in Eritrea. The Eritrean government has withstood all kinds of stormy winds
and weather conditions that came in from outside, plus an internal betrayal
that did not install a puppet government, which was designed and was supposed
to be subservient to the wishes of the leaders of Tigray.
What changed now in Ethiopia? What is the benefit of a dialogue with Eritrea?
Did the devil give some vision to Meles Zenawi and Seyoum Mesfin? Did a monk
or a debtera from some of the obscure Ethiopian monasteries see a revelation
and indicated that it is good to have or entertain a dialogue with Eritrea?
Did an angel of mercy appear in the mountains of Entoto or the dry gorges and
valleys of Adwa, Axum, Adigrat or Meqele? Did someone whisper to the ears of
the Tigrayans that a dialogue with Eritrea is an exit strategy? Is there a new
prophecy that can be considered that would make Eritrea an ally to have a dialogue
with and make business? Not at all!
As far as Eritrea is concerned, there is not an iota, a mustard seed, or a compelling
reason to have a dialogue with the devil. We all know it is a delaying tactic
concocted by the snakes and vipers of Tigray. It is a trap for Eritrea. The
dialogue is not genuine. It is a non-starter! If dialogue will be needed, and
if it can bring some form of normalization and reconciliation, it cannot be
done now. It will not be tomorrow. It is not going to be next year. It is not
yet time to declare and say, “Let bygones be bygones.”
It will take years to heal the wounded heart of the Eritreans. The ungrateful
Tigrayans have pierced the loving heart of the Eritreans. If it were not for
the help of the Eritreans, the Weyanies of Tigray would not have ascended to
throne of Emperor Haileslassie! They would not have been able to rule over present
day Ethiopia!
Who can forget the inhumane treatment of Eritreans in the hands of Tigrayans?
Who can forget the deportation of more than 76, 000 Eritreans from Tigray and
Ethiopia? What about those Eritreans who died in prison cells? Who can forget
the more than 1.5 million displaced Eritreans?
Who can forget the bombings of Asmara, Massawa, and other Eritrean cities and
towns? Who can forget the separation of families? Who can forget the looting
and destruction of properties owned by Eritreans? What about the desecration
of the graves of Eritrean martyrs? Who can forget the Eritrean civilians killed
by the Weyanies?
Another burning issue that is hanging on the neck of the Tigrayans, like an
albatross stone, is the process of compensation. By hook or crook, Ethiopia
must compensate all of those Eritreans who have lost their properties during
the war of 1998-2000.
Above all, we must remind the Tigrayans that there will be a time when Eritrea
will ask for a hefty sum of money to be paid by Ethiopia as a compensation for
the 40 years of destruction brought upon Eritrea and the Eritrean people through
successive rogue regimes in Addis Abeba.
Thus, if there will be any dialogue, it should only come after the demarcation
of the whole border is completed and Eritrea gains full sovereignty over its
territories.
The evil machinations of the Ethiopian government are designed to derail the
demarcation process, proclaim to the world about the dialogue, and claim there
is a dialogue going on and then abandon the demarcation process. Eritrea will
not entertain an approach that does not accept the full demarcation of the border.
For Eritrea, there is no partial demarcation!
Currently, Ethiopia is attempting to make an association and a comparison with
the border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon and equate it with the one going
on between Eritrea and Ethiopia. This is an absurd comparison. In addition,
it is a foolish Mathematical Calculation! All of my former mathematics and algebra
students can detect the imbalance of the two equations presented by the Tigrayans.
The two do not have any common elements or similarities to be compared. Such
a comparison comes only from a crooked mind and heart. There is no equation
that can be proven about the similarities of the two situations. Let Nigeria
and Cameroon deal with their own problems. They have the capacity to resolve
their border dispute.
The so-called dialogue or proximity talks entertained and encouraged by some
quarters will put the Eritrean government on a permanent state of mobilization,
no peace- no war situation, inaction for development and a state of frustration.
No one in the Eritrean government should be deceived by the idea of a false
dialogue. No Eritrean official should be duped, bamboozled, tricked, and deceived
in accepting the premature dialogue. If that happens, it will be an act of suicide
to the Eritrean government.
Those who try to entertain such an idea, whether it is the British Ambassador
in Addis Abeba, or the US or the UN, or the AU should not have their hopes built
on quick sand. They should not even contemplate such a dialogue is necessary.
We have heard it many times, and in many occasions, through diplomatic channels,
behind closed doors and secret meetings, the West does not want to see Ethiopia
disintegrated and there is no substitute to Meles Zenawi. We should know Ethiopia
would bring its own disintegration. It is working on its self-destruction! We
also know that Meles Zenawi is not an immortal person. If the West wants to
save Ethiopia from being disintegrated, it is imperative that Ethiopia first
learns how to behave in a civilized manner. It must put its house in order.
A shuttle diplomacy between Asmara and Addis Abeba, similar to the one taken
by Anthony Lake, Susan Rice and their handlers, will not bear any fruit. It
must stop before it gets started. Eritrea has learned a lesson. It does not
want its hands to be burned again. Eritrea will not allow itself to be presented
as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of secret diplomacy for the sake of Ethiopian
unity. Eritrea does not need insincere foreign diplomats whose objective is
to save Meles’ neck.
It is time to close the shop of unproductive arms twisting and tell Ethiopia,
enough is enough! Eritrea knows the contemplated dialogue is only a facade to
hoodwink world opinion. The dialogue has no value, but to waste time and pull
down Eritrea to the gutter of Ethiopian political instability.
Badme will not be given to Ethiopia, It is an Eritrean territory. There is no
dialogue on the status of Badme. Eritrea does not give away what legally belongs
to it.
It is to be recalled, at the end of the 1998-200 border war that took place
between Eritrea and Ethiopia, it was agreed under International Peace Agreement,
the border was to be delimited and demarcated by a neutral Border Commission.
Both parties, Eritrea and Ethiopia, agreed to accept the decision to be final
and binding. A Final decision was issued on April 13, 2002. There is no second
ruling! Final means, final! There is no double tongue here.
The Border Commission did not use “Wax and Gold” metaphor to deceive the world
community. Its decision is simple and clear. It is straight and forward. Sir
Elihu Lauterpacht, the president of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission,
in many occasions, has told the Ethiopian government the decision is final and
binding. The UN Security Council, through its regular meetings and resolutions,
has told Ethiopia it must accept the decision without any delay. What is more
clearer than this?
As we can see from the explanations given to the Ethiopian authorities, there
are no ifs, buts, or other methods of reopening the debate.
However, the Tigrayans have copied the “Wax and Gold” means of communication
that the Amharas have been using for centuries and are now trying to deceive
the world community by issuing ambiguous statements, such as “we want peace
with Eritrea, we are for the demarcation of the border, we will not fire again
the first shot, but we have to ask for some variations”.
Eritrea, knowing that the decision was final and binding, accepted the ruling
without any reservation and equivocation. The Ethiopian government, without
knowing the truth about the ruling, indicated it has accepted the decision.
It even claimed, falsely of course, that it has acquired more land that previously
belonged to Eritrea. Gradually, the Ethiopian government began to show its true
nature and colors of deception. Badme was never awarded to Ethiopia. A bombshell
fell on the heads and backs of the leaders of Tigray and Ethiopia!
The truth was revealed. Eritrea was vindicated. It was ruled by the Border Commission
that Badme, the center of the conflict, is inside Eritrea.
The whole world knows now the Weyanies of Tigray have deceived their own people.
They have become the liars and cheaters of the 21st century.
Now, the prime Minster of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, stated Ethiopia would not
accept the decision. He wrote a personal letter to the Secretary General of
the UN, Kofi Annan. Meles believes only Mr. Kofi Annan would save him from being
overthrown from the palace of Haileselasie. Mr. Kofi Annan does not have the
authority to change the decision of The Border Commission. The decision is final
and binding!
The Security Council of the UN has told Ethiopia that the decision is final
and binding. Thus, Ethiopia’s request for an alternative ruling has been rejected
by the Security Council. What is the problem that Ethiopia could not comprehend
this rejection? Does Ethiopia think it can continuously deceive the Security
Council and get away with it?
Recently, the Ethiopian Prime Minister also told his parliament that the Border
Commission’s Decision is “null and void”. What a farce of insincerity! What
an arrogance to show! Where is the respect and principle of observing an international
law? Did he not, day in and day out, use to accuse Eritrea of violating an international
law? Was not Eritrea being accused of following the law of the jungle? Whose
music are we listening to now? What is going on in the secret place of Menelik,
Haileselassie, and Mengistu? Are not the diplomats stationed in Addis Abeba
observing such words of inconsistencies and contradictions coming from the offices
of the Prime Minister and his Foreign Minster? Do they not have a diplomatic
scale to weigh the intellectual acumen of the leaders of Tigray and Ethiopia?
It is shameful that the Ethiopian government has picked up a fight with the
Border Commission. Meles Zenawi and his cohorts are accusing the Border Commission
of being “inconsistent, wrong, partial, and its decision arbitrary and illegal”.
Meles Zenawi and his Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin, have repeatedly accused
the Border Commission for being on the Eritrean side. After all, did Ethiopia
not choose its well-known lawyers and representatives to be members of the Commission?
What went wrong in the heads of the Weyanies? Did they assume Badme was going
to be given to them?
We know the respected jurists do not have a stake on the issues of territories,
except on justice! The International jurists are men of integrity. They will
not reverse their decision simply to accommodate the selfish needs of the Ethiopian
government.
Emotionally, mentally, and psychologically, the leaders of Tigray are “damaged
men.” They have an explainable inferiority complex. They are jealous of Eritrean
independence. They are angry and mad that Tigray is not independent. Due to
their crooked mind, they do not want to see a prosperous, stable, and peaceful
Eritrea. Hence, the leaders of Tigray can be called the “men of disorder “in
the Horn of Africa. It is conceivable to deduce that the many years that Tigray
was ruled by Menelik, Haileslassie, and Mengistu had brought immeasurable mental
anguish and distortion in the minds of the Tigrayans.
Thus, because of the border crisis, another problem began to develop in the
inner circles of the Tigrayian Government of Ethiopia. Fear of losing the palace
of Addis Abeba began to creep into the minds of the Tigrayan leaders. Hence,
the Ethiopian government declared it has rejected the decision of the Border
Commission and has asked the United Nations to come up with a new ruling that
would give the town of Badme to Ethiopia.
Any layperson knows this is not going to happen! An international law does not,
very easily, get violated by deceitful governments. The rule of law must be
respected. An international law does not get overturned by the stroke of a pen.
The decision of the Commission should not be reversed by anybody or through
back door diplomatic maneuvering. The World Community should not allow Ethiopia
to poke its fingers at the nose of the UN and embarrass the International Organization.
If that happens, the relevancy of the UN will be affected. The rule of law will
be trampled. Henceforth, there will not be any nation that will keep any UN
Resolutions. If this happens, the idea of Collective Security will fly out through
the windows of the UN Headquarters in New York City.
We all know the issue for Ethiopia is not Badme! The prize for Ethiopia is to
get back all of Eritrea! The main thing for all of the crying over Badme was
to find an excuse, annex, and occupy all of Eritrea. Of course, and yet, the
unfulfilled Ethiopian dream is to have the two Eritrean seaports, Asseb and
Massawa, come under the control of the government in Meqele and Addis Abeba.
Some Amhara chauvinists and their Tigrayan disciples still think the border
of Ethiopia in the north is The Red Sea! What a dream! For sure, that is not
going to happen. Eritrean independence is a reality. It cannot be reversed.
A lot has been paid for it. Eritrean independence is paid by the sweat, blood,
and tears of every Eritrean. It should be clearer to the Tigrayans and Amharas,
Eritrean independence is not for sale to the highest bidder!
It is true, The Security Council of the United Nations (UN) has rejected Ethiopia’s
recent request to have a variation in the ruling. Ethiopia is unhappy and mad
about the decision. It is crying “wolf” and is shedding crocodile tears. This
is being done so that it may get some sympathizers and supporters. Oromay, the
issue of the border is final and binding! It is sealed, delivered, and it is
a done deal! Thus, Demarcation is the only viable solution to the impasse of
the border crisis!