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ETHIOPIAN LEADERS' CONTEMPT OF LAW EXPOSED
Adem Berhan July 26, 2003 Eritrea has been vindicated once again. In a letter sent to the United Nations on September 19, 2003, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, has made what has been rumored for some time now official: Ethiopia has rejected the border ruling made by a panel of internationally acclaimed jurists in the matter of Eritrea v. Ethiopia border case. It is to be recalled that the Border Commission that made the ruling was established with the consent and blessing of the two warring parties and has the backing of such heavy weight guarantors as the UN, EU, USA, AU and so forth. The onus now is clearly falling upon these guarantors which must take punitive measures against the Ethiopian government as stipulated in the 2000 Algiers Agreement.
Eritrea has entered into and discharged its obligations called for by the agreement in good faith. Its commitment to abide by law has been demonstrated before, during and after the ruling. On the contrary, the Ethiopian government has never had good intentions and as a matter of fact it has been trying to abort the agreement from the outset. Its contempt of the international body of law has now been clearly manifested. The Ethiopian leaders must not be allowed to obstruct the legal process. The guarantors have a legal and moral obligation to stop the Ethiopian leaders from causing yet another tragic war. The guarantors must not let the peace loving people of Eritrea and Ethiopia down by letting the rule of law to be compromised. The people have enjoyed the relative peace that has prevailed since the formal cessation of hostilities and have hoped for permanent peace to come with the demarcation. The guarantors have an obligation to keep these hopes intact. The peace loving Eritrean and Ethiopian people expect and trust that the guarantors will deal with the Ethiopian leaders firmly and decisively.
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