Eritrea terminates activity of six Italian aid groups

February 17, 2006ASMARA -- Eritrea has ordered six Italian aid groups to stop working in the impoverished Horn of Africa nation for failing to meet new registration requirements. Letters received by the agencies this week thanked them for their work in Eritrea but said that they had not met conditions required by May 2005 legislation dealing with NGOs and so must halt operations by January 31. "We kindly officially inform you to terminate your activities as of 31/01/2006," said the letters from the Eritrean ministry of labor and human welfare, which were dated February 9. The letters did not explain why they were dated after the cut-off date for the groups to stop working nor did they say exactly what requirements of the new legislation they had not met. Those requirements include annual licensing, and stipulate that local groups must have operating capital of $1 million and international groups twice as much. The Eritrean official in charge of registration was abroad on Thursday and not available to comment. Officials at the Italian embassy in Asmara declined to comment although other diplomats said that they understood that the six groups were the only ones thus far rejected for registration. "So far 17 NGOs have been registered, six have been refused, and about 10 are still waiting for an answer," said one. In recent months Asmara has been stressing the dangers of dependency on foreign aid and instituted policies intended to cultivate self-reliance. In September it stopped most free distribution of food aid, and called for "food for work" programs to be instituted. Several diplomats said on Thursday, however, that free distribution had resumed in two of Eritrea's six regions recently. The United Nations said that two-thirds of Eritrea's 3.5 million population needed food aid in 2005 and while there are no figures yet for 2006, most of Eritrea's neighbors are suffering from a scorching drought that threatens millions with starvation.

UK PM targets Ethiopia at summit

By Peter Biles BBC southern Africa correspondent

Blair told Ethiopia's leader of his country's need to settle its problems The UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has said he wants to see Ethiopia resolve its internal problems and continue on a democratic path.
He was speaking at the end of a summit of centre-left leaders from across the world in South Africa.
It was also attended by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi.
This comes after a political crackdown in Ethiopia late last year and the arrest of thousands of opposition supporters.
The seven centre-left government leaders met at a game reserve deep in the African bush near the South African city of Pretoria to discuss their shared political agenda.
We have to try and resolve the situation
Tony Blair
Blair: Much to do in Africa But at a news conference, Mr Blair found himself sitting alongside his Ethiopian counterpart, Mr Zenawi, who has been facing strong international criticism over his handling of the political unrest and violence that followed disputed elections.
'Real issues'
The two leaders used to be close allies. But last month, Britain suspended direct aid amid concerns about Ethiopia's commitment to human rights.
On Sunday, Mr Blair said he had been concerned about what he called "real issues".

The government has been cracking down on protesters since the elections"The government won the election, there was then a reaction to it, there was then, perhaps, if I can say this without being too undiplomatic, an over reaction to that, which often happens," said Mr Blair.
"We have to try and resolve the situation, the human rights issues, but do so - and I want to do so - in a way that supports Ethiopia."
Mr Zenawi said if there had been flaws, Ethiopia would learn from its mistakes and move on. He respected Britain's decision to withhold government aid.
The leaders at this summit in South Africa also discussed the need for progress in trade negotiations.
Mr Blair said a failure on the world trade round would be a devastating blow to the poorest countries, as well to emerging and developed nations.

Protest at UN arrests in Eritrea

Tensions along the border are mountingThe United Nations has protested to Eritrea over the arrest of 13 local staff members employed to monitor the disputed border with Ethiopia.
Another 30 staff are in hiding, in fear of being detained as well.
No official reason has been give for the arrests, but the information minister said he would not allow the UN to give sanctuary to "fugitives".
Recently Eritrea has clamped down on UN operations, in retaliation for the failure to implement a border ruling.
The neighbours fought a brutal war between 1997-2000 which ended with a peace agreement committing both sides to abide by the ruling of an independent commission which demarcated the boundary.
However, Ethiopia has not withdrawn its troops from the disputed border town of Badme, which the commission awarded to Eritrea.
Eritrea wants the international community to put more pressure on Ethiopia to comply with the ruling.

Last year, Eritrea banned UN helicopter flights and called for the expulsion of Western peacekeepers.
Then in January, Eritrea's President Isaias Afewerki refused to allow the team of US diplomats and army officials to visit the border area.
TENSE BORDER

Talking about the weekend detentions, Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu said if any person broke the law they were subject to the law, regardless of where they worked.
"We will not allow Unmee to be a sanctuary for fugitives," he said.
The UN Security Council has delayed a decision until March on the future of its peacekeeping troops in the region, pending US efforts to resolve the impasse.
It may scale down the peacekeeping force which currently separates thousands of troops from the two countries who are deployed close to the border, raising fears of renewed conflict.
UN head Kofi Annan reported back in January to the Security Council on resolution 1640, which carries the threat of sanctions against both countries if they do not withdraw troops they had sent to the border.
He presented them with six options, from leaving things as they are to pulling out.

تحويل الآباء والأمهات الي رهائن

عونا ـ 12 شباط فبراير

12/02/2006


تفيد أخبار واردة من مدينة كرن بأن السلطات هناك تشن الآن حملة من الاعتقالات ضد الآباء والأمهات الذين هربوا أبناءهم خارج البلاد أو اختفوا في الداخل تفادياً من الذهاب الي معسكر "ساوا" وذلك منذ يوم الأحد الماضي، حيث يتم جمعهم أولا في ملعب كرة القدم (جوكو) ومن ثم ينقلوا الي معسكر احتجاز أقيم خصيصاً بمنطقة "لبنا" بضواحي المدينة، ويأتي قرار الاعتقالات الي مدينة كرن وهي ثاني أكبر المدن كثافة من حيث السكان بعد أن أخذت مدن وقري أخري نصيبها من الاعتقالات والمداهمات منذ منتصف يوليو الماضي، وتهدف السلطات من إعتقال أقارب الفارين الي ايقاف موجات الهروب الجماعي الذي تشهده البلاد بسبب سياسات خاطئة وأخطار امنية صادرة من الحكومة، ولم تفرج السلطات عن الأم أو الأب المعتقل إلا بعد دفع فدية مقدارها خمسين ألف نقفة (50000) ويتضاعف المبلغ كلما هرب اكثر من شخص من الأسرة الواحدة وذلك وسط شعب يعتمد أكثر من ثلثيه علي المعونات الخارجية، وقد دافع السيد/ الأمين محمد سعيد في سيمنار عقده بمدينة ملبورن في ديسمبر الماضي علي سياسة اعتقال اقارب الهاربين قائلاً أنها الطريقة الوحيدة لإيقاف موجات الفرار معترفاً في ذات الوقت بأن أبناء الميسورين بدأوا يهربون بعد أن يدفعوا رشاوي في حين أبناء الفقراء "يرابطون للدفاع عن الوطن".

وفي حملات سابقة نقل موقع "عواتي" علي لسان شهود عيان بأنهم رأوا اشخاص مضروبين وبعضهم يجذبون نحو السيارات وفيهم عجزة وفاقدي بصر وذلك من الحملة التي طالت مدن مندفرا وعدي قيح وعرزا وماي امني وعدي خالا وهزمو والقري المحيطة بعدي قيح في منتصف يوليو الماضي.

ويثار الآن جدلاً أوساط الاريتريين حول الأسس الأخلاقية والأهداف الوطنية من إعتقال فئة الآباء والأمهات وهي من أكثر الفئات احتراماً وتبجيلاً وسط مجتمع محافظ تحكمه قيم دينية ويعطي اعتبارات شديدة لنظامه الاجتماعي. ولم يستوعب الكثير من المواطنين معني تحويل أقارب الهاربين الي رهائن وجعلهم كبش فداء لمجرد أن الحكومة تريد أن تثبت لهم أنها قادرة علي كل شيئ، ويعيد البعض بذاكرته الي زمن الاستعمار الاثيوبي البغيض ليقول بأن إثيوبيا نفسها لم تفعل ذلك بحق الشعب الاريتري. في حين يري البعض بان ذلك يعمل في زيادة الكره المتصاعد ضد النظام أصلاً

EMDHR CONDUCTED SESSION WORKSHOPS IN FOUR SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES

9 February 2006In furtherance of objectives of the Civic Awareness Project, the EMDHR conducted session workshops on 4-5 February 2006 in four South African cities, namely Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Pietermarizburg and Durban. The objective of the workshop was to discuss the draft manual prepared by EMDHR on the theory, practices and techniques of active non-violent struggle as seen from the Eritrean context.
The proposed title of the draft manual was: A journey to a guaranteed peace, justice and democracy. It has been developed through the participation and contribution of members of the EMDHR and many other concerned individuals from various parts of the world. The manual intends to empower the Eritrean people to overcome their fear and habit of obedience in such a way that they would be able to protest non-violently and effectively against violations of human rights by a government or any group.Bloemfontein, South AfricaThe draft manual was presented during the workshops by six members of the EMDHR who traveled from the Head Office in Pretoria to the four cities. The workshop in Cape Town was lead by Abraham Rezene and Tesfalem Tekleab, in Bloemfontain by Fanuel Mesfin and Bereket Tesfamichael and in Durban and Peitermarizburg by Samuel Bizen and Minassie Teklay. Pietermanizburg, South Africa
During the session workshop, the participants discussed about issues that resonate around the following points:• Why nonviolence? • Why do people obey to authority in large numbers although it is not in their interest?• Methods of active nonviolent action, and• Factors that a nonviolent movement should avoidAs it was intended, these workshops assisted in gathering some useful comments and ideas from Eritreans residing in South Africa; such comments and ideas will make part of the various inputs that constitute the manual and will be incorporated accordingly in the final draft of the manual. Hard copies of the Tigrigna version of the draft manual were also dispatched during the workshop to all participants. The participants agreed to further discuss among themselves about the draft manual and send their feedback to EMDHR head office. In addition, during the workshop the participants discussed about the organizational affairs of the EMDHR. These kinds of workshops will also be carried out in other cities of South Africa.
These workshops are being carried out inline with the funding agreement entered into between the EMDHR and Grassroots International for purposes of development and testing the Manual proposed by the EMDHR. The EMDHR is pleased to provide the draft manual upon request as well as accommodate any comments that may be put forward on this respect.

Eritrea arrests UN staff

13/02/2006 20:42 - (SA)
Asmara - Eritrea has arrested several local staff of the United Nations peacekeeping mission that monitors its tense border with Ethiopia in a new sign of deteriorating ties between Asmara and the world body, said diplomats on Monday.
They said the detention of Eritrean employees of the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee) began at the weekend under circumstances that remained unclear.
They said: "The arrests started on Saturday in Asmara. No reason was given for the arrests. I don't know how many have been arrested."
Unmee officials could not be reached for comment, but Eritrean information minister Ali Abdu confirmed that some of the mission's local staff had been detained for violations of local laws.
Can't be a safe haven
He said: "Regardless of where they work, if they broke the law they should be brought to justice. Unmee can't be a safe haven for fugitives."
Ali Abdu declined to comment further on the arrests or on the number of those detained, saying: "I don't have the details."
Unmee, which has monitored the Eritrea-Ethiopia border since 2000, has 3 000 troops mostly from India and Jordan, and several hundred civilian personnel, including Eritreans.
But since October, the mission has come under increasing pressure from Eritrea, which banned Unmee helicopter flights, imposed restrictions and ground patrols and later expelled its North American and European staff.
The UN security council had threatened to slap sanctions on Eritrea if the restrictions were not lifted, but Asmara has ignored the demands and stepped up complaints that the UN and world powers are biased against it.

När kommer demokratin till Eritrea?

Eritrea sluter sig inom sitt skal som man alltid gjort inför verkliga eller påhittade hot från omvärlden. Med slutenheten stryps förutsättningarna för maktspridning och yttrandefrihet. Den fängslade svenske journalisten Dawit Isaak är en bricka i det spelet.
Khaled Abdu, fd chefred för den oberoende tidningen Admas, Semret Seyoum, fd kollega till Dawit Isaak och fotojournalisten Donald Boström diskuterar förutsättningarna för en demokratisk utveckling i Eritrea, ABF-huset, den 1 mars, kl. 18.00.
Moderator: Christian Andersson.
Debatten är på engelska.
Ett arrangemang av Reportrar utan gränser

Eritrea cool to US diplomacy on border

February 9, 2006ASMARA -- Eritrea on Thursday reacted coolly to a US pledge at the United Nations to pursue diplomatic initiatives in a bid to resolve the tense border stalemate between it and archrival neighbor Ethiopia. Asmara, which last month snubbed a senior US envoy, said that the time had come for Ethiopia to be forced to accept a four-year-old border demarcation, the rejection of which is the main cause of the current tensions. "They are talking about mechanics, what we want to see are tangible results on the ground," said Yemane Gebremeskel, director of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki's office. On Wednesday, the United States won another month from the UN Security Council for its mediation bid on the matter despite Eritrean resistance to it and demands for the immediate enforcement of the border ruling. As part of the US bid, it said that efforts were underway to convene a meeting of the witnesses to the 2000 Algiers peace deal that ended the bloody two-year war between Ethiopia and Eritrea to be followed by a further discussions by the international panel that set the new border two years later. But Yemane said that the time for talk had passed and that Eritrea's stance could no longer be ignored. "The Eritrean demands are long overdue, we have to see the implementation of the Algiers agreement and the demarcation," he said. "The border decision was made in 2002, four years ago. Nobody can justify the delay." Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 that cost some 80,000 lives before the Algiers accord was reached in which both vowed to respect the border ruling. Ethiopia, however, has thus far rejected it and Eritrea has repeatedly warned of a new conflict unless it is accepted and complained vehemently that the international community is favoring its larger neighbor. To show its displeasure with the United Nations, Asmara has slapped restrictions on UN peacekeepers monitoring the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) border and expelled North American and European peacekeeping staff. It has refused to respond to UN Security Council demands, backed by the threat of sanctions, to lift the curbs. In late January, Asmara slammed the United States for "evil" foreign policies that encouraged Ethiopia to ignore the border ruling and brought the two nations to the brink of new war. "The current extremely sad and dangerous situation is the outcome of the erroneous US foreign policy," the information ministry said on January 29. Earlier that month, Eritrea refused to cooperate in a fact-finding visit to the country by a senior US diplomat.

Eritrea assails UN over charges of Darfur rebel support

February 8, 2006

ASMARA -- Eritrea on Wednesday angrily denied charges by a UN panel that it is providing weapons and military support to rebel groups in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region in violation of an arms embargo.

Information minister Ali Abdu said that the panel's conclusion that Eritrea is helping the two Darfur rebel groups was false, accusing the United Nations of inept ineffectiveness and UN chief Kofi Annan of being corrupt. "The report is totally groundless," he said. "Instead of pointing futile fingers at others, the UN should question itself, its role in keeping peace and stability in different regions.

"The UN is inept, it needs [reform] more than any time in its history," Ali Abdu said. "It is an ineffective institution with a corrupt secretary general.

" In a report issued this week, the panel of experts looking at the 2004 arms embargo on non-state actors in Darfur said that the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were getting illegal support from Eritrea, as well as from Chad, Libya and unknown other sources.

"The panel judges that the government of Eritrea has provided, and probably continues to provide arms, logistical support, military training and political support to both JEM and the SLA," it said.

"Training of JEM and SLA has reportedly occurred at a number of camps in Eritrea on the Eritrea-Sudan border," the report said.

Ali Abdu said that the accusations were baseless, but allowed that Eritrea does give political and moral support to various Sudanese factions.

Asmara has long had a fractious relationship with the United Nations, which it accuses of failing to force archrival neighbor Ethiopia to accept a binding border demarcation that was part of the deal that ended their 1998-2000 war.

Those ties have deteriorated significantly in recent months after Eritrea imposed restrictions on UN peacekeepers monitoring the border with Ethiopia and expelled North American and European members of the mission from its territory.

The UN Security Council has threatened to slap sanctions on Asmara unless the restrictions are rescinded but Eritrea has thus far ignored the demand.

Open letter To Iseyas Afeworki from Swedish National Press Club

Nya tag i kampen för frigivning[060118]Efter den stora besvikelsen när Dawit Isaak åter fängslades återupptar nu Publicistklubben kampanjen för hans frigivning. Här är det nya stafettbrevet.Nytt stafettbrev

Stockholm, January 17, 2006

President Isayas Afworki

Asmara

Our colleague and compatriot Dawit Isaak has now been imprisoned in Asmara since September 2001. The relief and joy we felt when he was released in November, have since been replaced by our deepest concern about his fate after he was jailed again, without charge or trial.This is to inform you that Publicistklubben (The Swedish National Press Club) will continue to urge you to order the immediate release of Dawit Isaak.We appeal to you to do so for humanitarian reasons. Dawit Isaak´s health is precarious, and we urge you to let him go to Sweden to join his family and to receive medical treatment. Such a decision on your part would eliminate the most harmful issue in the Swedish-Eritrean relations and would remove the most difficult obstacle for a positive development of these relations.

Sincerely

Stig Fredrikson

President of Publicistklubben

እዋናዊ ጭርሖ ወዲ ኣፎም ብሪ

Tension in Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Rising Sharply Says UN

By A Staff ReporterThe disputed border between Ethiopia and Eritrea "remains tense" and troop movements have been seen on both sides, the U.N. mission in the two countries said on Thursday.The U.N. Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) carried out 746 ground patrols in the past week in the border's demilitarized Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), it said. "The military situation in the TSZ and adjacent areas remains tense. Routine troop movements have been noticed on both the Ethiopian and Eritrean sides," it said in a report.UNMEE said Eritrea's ban on U.N. helicopter flights remained in place, and that restrictions continued on its patrols in central and western parts of the TSZ, where movement in some areas and at night had been curtailed.Ethiopia and Eritrea had agreed to abide by an independent commission ruling on their border row, but Addis Ababa called for further "dialogue" in 2002 after the flashpoint town of Badme was given to Eritrea.Diplomats say Eritrea's helicopter ban in October, and the subsequent expulsion of U.N. personnel from the United States, Canada and Europe stemmed from frustration that the border demarcation had not been enforced.On Thursday, Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi accused Eritrea of "warmongering" and said Ethiopia had to bolster its defenses against a possible attack by its northern neighbor.

Eritrea hits back at Ethiopia in border row

Feb 2, 2006, (ASMARA) — Eritrean government wasted little time Thursday in firing back at comments by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who accused Asmara of arrogant war-mongering over their increasingly tense border.
Asmara said Meles had no legal grounds to continue to reject a 2002 border demarcation that emanated from the peace deal signed in Algiers in 2000 that ended the Horn of Africa rivals’ bloody two-year frontier war.
"Meles is not the judge in this case," said Yemane Gebremeskel, the director of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s cabinet.
"He does not have the right to interpret the Algiers agreement or to question the judgement of the boundary commission," Yemane told AFP in an interview initiated by his office shortly after Meles made his comments.
In speech to the Ethiopian parliament earlier Thursday, Meles criticized Asmara for keeping the stance it held before the start of the war in 1998 by insisting it has the right to take by force territory it considers its own.
"The main reason and source of the border conflict ... is the arrogant and war-mongering invader that is the Eritrean regime," Meles said, noting that an international panel in December had blamed Eritrea for the start of the war.
Eritrea has said it disagrees with the ruling by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Claims Commission but will accept it.
Yemane said Thursday it has nothing to do with the main issue for the rising tension: Ethiopia’s rejection of the border delineation that awarded that flashpoint town of Badme to Eritrea.
"The claims commission does not have jurisdiction on the boundary and it has has found Ethiopia liable for a host of other violations," he said.
"The Claims Commission has given a judgement on a specific event, the events of May 1998, it only has juridsiction on the damages that each party may shoulder on account of humanitarian law," Yemane said.
Asmara is demanding that Addis Ababa accept the border demarcation and has angrily accused the United Nations and world powers of ignoring Ethiopia’s refusal to do so.
To show its displeasure, Eritrea has slapped restrictions on UN peacekeepers monitoring the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) border and expelled the mission’s North American and European staff, while troop movements on both sides have heightened tensions and fears of a new war.
Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) on Thursday reported that the border area remained "tense" and that five people had been injured this week when their vehicle hit a land mine in near the border in Eritrea.
Two of the passengers in the civilian truck were seriously wounded in Tuesday’s incident, UNMEE said.

PM Meles Zenawi on Eritrean question

In the last two consecutive editions of the Herald, we presented the unofficial translation of the interview Prime Minister Meles Zenawi made with local journalists. This is the third and last part.
Question: The government regularly explained that there is anti-Ethiopian and strategic unity among the CUD, OLF and Shabea. What does their status look now? How true is the assertion? How concrete is it? And at what level are Ethiopia and Eritrea now? As regards this, what was the implication of the dialogue held recently with the American delegation? Also, in relation to this, what was the implication of the Claims Commission verdict that Eritrea was the invader?
PM Meles: The strategic alliance among CUD, OLF and Shabea is not a matter of analysis. Listening to the Shabean radio or watching the Shabean television will make the case easier. It propagates and coordinates the CUD and OLF programmes.
It will at least exert efforts to carry out coordination activities. If unrest is to happen through their instigation in schools, for instance they transmit fabricated stories two three days it earlier that there was out break of violence. Using this and other strategies, there are things they carry out together. Their strategic alliance is therefore translated into action. So the issue of strategic partnership is concrete. To make a direct assertion just tuning to Shabean propaganda is enough. The major programmes propagated in the radio or on television are the programmes of the CUD and OLF. It is the former Dergue officials in America who give daily interviews for their propaganda. The alliance is therefore tangible, and it is not, in fact, surprising.
At present, I don’t think that Shabea is capable to invade Ethiopia directly. If it does not opt for the peaceful means, its option is to create havoc indirectly.
I don’t think it is the agenda of Shabea whether or not the aims of these forces who can indirectly instigate violence are in compliance with its objective. Its agenda is simply to cause instability in Ethiopia, thus, its coordination with these forces is not a surprise for me. I don’t think the merger will bring about the desired results of Shabea. Basically, its attempt has been foiled. The sporadic instances occurring now are the remains of the foiled attempts. They are not part and parcel of the major attempts that were blocked. We have survived the major parts of the challenge. I don’t take the remains would pose that much challenge. In fact, throwing of grenades may attack a person where the prevalence of overall peace in the country does not mean anything to the person who sustained serious injury. The peace at country level does not work for him as he is injured. It is reasonable if the affected person thinks that way. Generally, however, I don’t take it that it will expose us to a danger at national level.
Regarding Ethiopia and Eritrea, there is much difference. The fundamentals of the stands of the two governments are kept as before. The stand on the part of Shabea is made on the premise that it cannot ultimately coexist with the incumbent party in power in Ethiopia. Based on this premise, Shabea claims that the demarcation of the boundary should be implemented without any engagement and negotiation and without answering neighborhood issues and related matters. However, in relation to this issue, it is telling and lets others tell that it would start invasion. Though there is nothing that has been initiated so far, it is doing everything it thinks would destabilize the nation.
The stand on the part of Ethiopia is that the issue must have a lasting solution through peaceful means. A lasting solution would be possible through the Five Point Peace Plans the Ethiopian government offered. In this respect, dialogue and negotiation should be held and the issue of demarcating the boundary should continue and be implemented on the basis of the decision of the Boundary Commission and under negotiation and the necessary corrections to the implementation should be made. Our position is that the other issues should be seen and answered simultaneously. On the side of the Ethiopian government, there is no plan of going to war. But if a full-fledged aggression is launched against us, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves. Otherwise, we are following patiently a direction of peaceful means. Therefore, regarding this issue, there are no considerable changes made so far.
We conferred with the American delegation on two major issues. The first and major issue was the dispute of Ethiopia and Eritrea. And the second was about the current political climate in the country.
As regards the major agenda, the Ethio-Eritrea dispute it was planned that a visit would be made by the delegation to Asmara and Addis Ababa. However, the delegation did not pay a visit to Asmara for various reasons. Therefore, as the delegation did not visit Asmara, it did not have the chance to play a mediating role while it was on a visit here. So, I think, the discussion in the main served to clarify Ethiopia’s views on the issue. We got the opportunity to clarify our stand. But, this does not mean that they are convinced of our stand and accepted it.
However, we got the opportunity to make clear our position in detail and appropriately. They forwarded some ideas, which they thought, would be solutions. As the points were not the essentials, it is very difficult to assume that they would bring about those big changes. However, we consider the initiation and step the American government took to solve the issue peacefully by sending its delegation, as a big and positive step though it brought no concrete results.
The Claims Commission has passed verdict without any ambiguity that Shabea was the aggressor. In my view, I don’t think the verdict of the Claims Commission was a big issue. It is a nice thing that the court ruled against Shabea. But it is obvious that Shabea was the invader; this is a dead fact. It is not strange. In fact, rule of the court will have its own weight and implication. In my opinion, what most people do not, give attention to but has a significant implication is the reasons it attached to the ruling-the interpretation. Shabea, in its interpretation of the court decision argued that it did not invade but only took defensive action to recapture its occupied territories. The verdict of the Claims Commission whether Shabea’s territories were occupied or not is another issue. Whether territories were occupied or not, it is a criminal act to commence aggression to recapture territories claiming border occupancy. It is clearly stated that it is in contravention of international laws. If we see the implication of this assertion, at this time, Shabea is repeating the same argument. Shabea claims the territories that the court decided in its favor and if it is reoccupied that it has the right to take defensive action and recapture it and so on.
There is no such a right. The Claims Commission passed a verdict unequivocally that boundary disputes would be solved by international laws only through peaceful manner and dialogue. This, therefore besides confirming that the earlier action was crime, further confirms what Shabea brags at present is crime too. In my view, the second implication for the verdict of the Claims Commission is that if boundary disputes won’t be solved through battlefield; the only option is one and only one. It means that there is no other option than settling dispute through diplomacy and dialogue. This is the option that Ethiopia has proposed. We have already accepted the Boundary Commission decision, though we are not happy with it and are not convinced of it. However, we have requested discussions so that some necessary corrections should be made as regards the implementations in order to bring about lasting solution. Having a position such as this is what the international laws supports- the fact that the commission has confirmed.
In fact, we knew from early on that the stand of the Ethiopian government was in compliance with the international laws and experiences. Nigeria and Cameroon went to international court to resolve their boundary disputes where Nigeria made the appeal that there were problems in the implementation of court’s decision. Nigeria and Cameroon have been, therefore, in the process of negotiation regarding the implementation for three years now. Therefore, international experiences also support the verdict of the Claims Commission. Thus, the fact that Claims Commission has put clearly the issue of Eritrea in this manner will have a significant implication

خلافـات بين ارتـريـا ولـيبيـا

رصد –مركز الخليج للدراسات الإعلامية بالقرن الإفريقي

06/02/2006

أفادت صحف سودانية صادرة اليوم في الخرطوم أن وفدا ارتريا برئاسة عبدالله جابر المسؤول

في الحزب الحاكم و وزير الخارجية بالوكالة محمد عمر سيصل إلي السودان لبحث العلاقات الثنائية

بين البلدين إضافة إلي قضية جبهة الشرق التي إحتدم فيها الخلاف بين الوسيط الليبي والوسيط الإرتري،

حيث طلب الآخير ان يكون له دور معلوم وواضح في هذة المفاوضات التي كان من المتوقع إجراؤها

في السابع من فبراير الجاري بين الحكومة السودانية وجبهة الشرق في العاصمة الليبية طرابلس.
وفيما أكد سفير ليبيا في الخرطوم انطلاق المفوضات في موعدها المحدد أكدت مصادر اخرى تعليقها

الي اجل لم يتحدد بعد وأضافت إلي أن جبهة الشرق تتعرض لضغوط لكي لا تذهب للمفاوضات حتي

. يتضح دور الوساطة الأرترية
الجدير بالذكر ان زيارة الوفد الارتري تتزامن مع الترتيبات الجارية التي يقوم بها وزير الخارجية

اليمني ابوبكر عبدالله القربي لعقد الاجتماع الثلاثي بين كل من وزراء خارجية اليمن والسودان واثيوبيا

لبحث الاوضاع في القرن الأفريقي وذالك في اطار التشاور بين دول تجمع صنعاء