Failure of US and other guarantors of Algiers Peace Agreement to take punitive action against the violating party enhanced TPLF regime’s intransigence and gave rise to new regional uncertainties: Senior Eritrean Foreign Ministry official
By: Shabait Staff
May 13, 2004

Expressing its concern with the incursions of Ethiopian military forces in to the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), the US Government called on the Government of Ethiopia to honor the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities and refrain from such acts.

Commenting on the US Government’s statement issued on 11 May 2004, a senior official of the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said that a time when the TPLF regime is openly defying the Algiers Peace Agreement to which the United States and other witnesses are signatory, in addition to rejecting the Boundary Commission’s ruling, beating war drum and declaring “eruption of war is inevitable”, underlined that the failure of the United States and other guarantors of the Algiers Peace Agreement to take punitive action against the violating party has not only enhanced the TPLF regime’s intransigence but also gave rise to new regional uncertainties.

In connection with the US Government’s statement that both parties had accepted the Boundary Commission’s ruling of April 2002 and called for both Eritrea and Ethiopia to cooperate with the United Nations for its immediate implementation, the senior Foreign Ministry official stressed that such a call unfairly putting on equal footing the party that respects the law and the one that breaches only encourages the TPLF regime to continue its violation of international law. The official further underlined that the US Government as both guarantor of the Algiers Peace Agreement and the influence it possesses is expected to play its due role in the implementation of the EEBC ruling.

Stating that ever since the arrival of UNMEE members in Eritrea, the Government of Eritrea had provided and continues to provide them with full support so as to facilitate their mission, the senior official of the Eritrean Foreign Ministry pointed out that whenever any acts on the part of UNMEE members occur outside the Rules of Engagement that is against the basic principles, the Eritrean Government has the responsibility to take the necessary corrective measures.