Report presented by prime minister Meles Zenawi to the Ethiopian parliament about Ethio-Eritrean boundry conflict

Honorable Speaker,
Honorable Members of the House,

With regard to the Ethio-Eritrean boundary conflict, we have made efforts to resolve the problem on the basis of the five- point peace plan. As this House will recall, even though the decision of the Boundary Commission was flawed, Ethiopia's acceptance of the decision and its readiness to implement it was made clear when we presented the peace plan, and has been reaffirmed since then. However, because of the imperative necessity to implement the decision in a manner that would ensure lasting peace, we have expressed our strong conviction on the need for dialogue for the implementation of the decision, as it is the case in conventional practice in other countries. Since the boundary dispute is not the only cause of conflict between the two countries, we have made our position clear on the need to resolve all other sources of the conflict through dialogue in order to achieve sustainable peace. I have indicated in my previous reports to this House that we will devise a strategy that would help advance our peace plan taking new developments in to account.
It is well known that the international community has been making various efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully. As I indicated in my previous report, the initiative taken by the United States Government in this regard is exemplary and commendable. Following that initiative, the witnesses to the Algiers Agreement held a meeting and forwarded a proposal which they believed would enable the peaceful resolution of the dispute. It has to be noted positively that this proposal, among other things, recognizes the need for dialogue to implement the decision. We believe that the support given by the United Nations Security Council to this proposal is also a positive step. As one of the recommendations made in this process was that the Boundary Commission convene a meeting with representatives of the two governments, a meeting was held in London. Even though the meeting by itself can be mentioned as a positive step, it did not achieve a breakthrough. Progress that could have been made through this initiative has been frustrated due to the insistence of the Eritrean Government on the mechanical implementation of the decision without any dialogue, against international conventional practice, emanating from its habitual rigidity and lack of readiness to show any flexibility.
The consistent position and desire of the Ethiopian Government is the peaceful resolution of the boundary dispute in accordance with international law and practice in a manner that will ensure durable peace. We will always be ready for the implementation of this and other proposals contained in our peace plan.
As we did in the past, we will listen with an open mind, to proposals coming from peace loving forces that we believe will advance the peace process. We will do whatever is expected of us to implement constructive proposals. On the other hand, we will continue to make the necessary effort to deter the Government of Eritrea from initiating armed conflict, and in the event that it resorts to armed conflict, to ensure a lasting resolution of the dispute.
After the debacle of the attempted Orange Revolution, instigated by the violent leaders of the CUD, general peace and stability has prevailed in the country. However, the forces of violence have continued to make relentless efforts to disturb our peace. The main goal of these violent forces is to disrupt our truly encouraging development endeavor by disturbing the peace in our country. They also tried to instigate conflict and bloodshed between those citizens who became instruments of these violent elements and the law enforcement forces, thereby tarnishing the image of our country and creating discord between the people and the Government. The cardinal objective of these forces is to create hopelessness by disrupting our good governance and development efforts that would lead to the destruction of the constitutional order and the unity of the country. The agenda of these forces is similar to the selfish animal in the Ethiopian proverb which said that it would not care if grass stopped growing after its death which is tantamount to “ Apre moi le deluge!”.
The forces that oppose federalism from two extremes, namely those who promote secession as an objective and oppose unity based on federalism on the one hand; and those forces that oppose the protection of the rights of nations nationalities and peoples through federalism on the other, are working hand in glove in an unholy alliance masterminded by the Eritrean Government. The wish of the Eritrean Government is to see a divided or at least much weakened Ethiopia. To achieve this goal it is coordinating and mobilizing remnants of the Dergue regime, the OLF and its likes. Obviously the common objective of these forces is based on the principle of the selfish animal in the Ethiopian proverb which doesn't care if the grass ceased to exist after it is gone.
The Government, mindful of this situation, has mobilized the people and the law enforcement forces to thwart this danger. Because of the strong determination of the people for the eradication of poverty and the establishment of good governance, the coordinated plot of the anti-peace forces was successfully foiled. Even in those few towns and secondary schools where these violent forces temporarily managed to disrupt the teaching-learning process, the role of the people has been critical in stabilizing the situation. The Government, while supporting the initiative of the people for peace and stability, has in the mean time achieved successful results in gradually dismantling the clandestine network organized by these forces, and in bringing the perpetrators to the court of law. Those who calculated to take advantage of the violence as an opportunity to put pressure on the Government to change its course, have been proven wrong when the Government rather than changing its course dismantled the forces of destruction. The process, in a way, has helped the Government to build its capacity and to gain valuable experience. Even in those few localities where the teaching-learning process has been disrupted, we are confident that, by working with the people, we will be able to find lasting and sustainable solution in the coming few months.