THE HERALD Winter 1999-2000 - Number 21, Part 1 A publication of Ethiopia & Eritrea RPCVs , an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association The Hera ld #2 1 is in two parts. #1 focuses on topics relating to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Africa. #2, which will arrive separately, has all other topics ususally covered in A REPORT The Herald- news of friends, the Peace Corps, our group, books of interest, etc. Peace Initiative efforts by Leo Cecchini (Asmara 62-64) lniicle HIS ARTICLE COVERS TWO (PL 480 and Section 41 6 programs for recent activities involving E&E those versed in US Government jargon). Letter to the T RPCV's peace initiative and the pros­ However, this would only be available UN Secretary-General , .......... 3 pects for peace. after clearing up the "problem" with The response ..................... .. ... .. .. J USAID. Russom took advantage of the Afollow:up on the grain issue ... 4 Food Politics meeting to state that th~re are 63 ,000 News from the Horn .... .............. 6 Eritreans evicted from Ethiopia and over After receiving an appea l from Eritrean 400,000 Eritreans displaced by the war ·· AinbassadorShinncorrimentsr .. 17' UN Ambassador Haile Menkerios, I all of whom are in dire need of food. East Coast Regional Summit approached the State Department to see on Africa.: a report 19 why the US government had told Eritrea After the meeting I asked Russom about that the US had no gra in available for it the "problem" with USAID. He said that Report on assessment trip to now. I had told Menkerios that the US the outbreak of the war last year left camps f§rwar disp.laced in has plenty of grain and that there must some 50,000 tons of grain for Ethiopia Gash-Sarka .......... : ............. .. 20 be some policy snag. State told me that I at the port of Assab. Rather than let it go should talk to the US Department of to waste, Eritrea appropriated the grain ......................... JO Agriculture. I then arranged a briefing at and distributed it in the Assab area. Agriculture for Eritrean Ambassador to USAID had demanded an accounting of the US Semere Russom and his staff. the disposal of this grain. The Ag people told Russom that they I then called Ambassador Menkerios in like working with Eritrea because it gets New York who informed me that the grain distributed quickly and subsequent to our last meeting he had efficiently. It also confirmed th at it was been made aware of the problem and planning to include Eritrea in the had given a written reply to the UN in coming yea r's allocations of grant food which Eritrea accepted all responsibility for the appropriated grain and gave an I noted th at Ambassador Menkerios has I described E&E RPCV's work over the accounting of its use. He said that the gone out on a limb by getting his last yea r. I sa id that we are still prepared UN accepted Eritrea's report as fu lfi 11 i ng government to accept the OAU formula to help administer the d isputed area its demands. I asked him to send me a and agree to withdraw from al I area s while the UN settles the border. Jeff said copy of the UN rep ly to pass on to claimed by the Ethiopians. I sa id that that after a cease-fire is in place the Agriculture. further delay weakens his position and if OAU will send in about 50 military he should be removed from the scene people to supervise the cease-fire. The [NOTE: For more about this topic, see there is little chance of any peaceful UN will later send some 100 people to "A follow-up on the grai n shipment resolution of the conflict. help the Ethiopians and Eritrea ns issue" on page 4.] administer the disputed areas. (S ubse­ I raised the point that the Ethiopians will quently, Dane sent a letter to UN not yield unti I the US and other donors Meeting at State Department Secretary General Kofi Annan once cut off all aid and ass istance to them. more offering E&E RPCV's services as an I went with National Peace Co rps Jeff said that the Ethiopians know that ad ministrator in th e disputed areas.) Association president Dane Smith the "full weight of the US and interna­ [Note: See letter on page 3, plus (Asmara 63-65)* to cal l on the new tional organizations will fall on them if respo nse.] Director of the Office of East African they renew hostilities." Dane asked Affa irs at the State Department on what actions the US and others would I raised the matter of no US grai n for October 13th. The Director, Jeff take shou ld that happen. Jeff responded Eritrea say ing it posed two problems, M illington, is an old colleague of mine that we would make our displeasure first, Eritreans wil I suffer if they do not from the days of bringing an end to the clear and unambiguous. It would appear rece ive any food aid, and second, since war in Mozambique. We reviewed the from these comments that the US we continue to supply grain to the state of play in negotiat ing an end to the Government will not cut off aid and Ethiopians, our refusal to do so for war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. ass istance unless th e Ethiopians attack Eritrea suggests that the US is biased in Eritrea again, thus allowing the Ethiopi­ its dealings with the two countries. Jeff Millington repeated what we know from ans to continue to stall and bleed the sa id that USAID sti ll demands a full other sources: The Eritreans have Eritreans slowly while negotiations accounting from Eritrea of the appropri­ accepted the OAU cease-fire proposal proceed. However, most observers ated grain. I said that since the UN while Ethiopia is still insisting on expect renewed heavy fi ghting if no accepts Eritrea's mea culpa and apolo­ clarifications and assurances. I said it cease-fi re is achieved. All know that gies with explanations about the grain, appeared as though the Ethiopians want they are working against the clock. why are we sti ll demanding our pound a precooked deal that will allow them to of fl es h. I added that the USA I D opera­ stay in the territories they regain under Dane as ked Jeff about the proposal tion in Eritrea has been a disaster since the cease-fire no matter how the border made during the Uohn] Garamendi its inception and this action proves my is demarcated. Jeff said the Ethiopians (Metu 66-68) visit and by others to hold point. Jeff said that the US Government are delaying because they question the peace negotiations in the US ala the is negotiating a resolution to the abi lity of the intern ational community to Camp David Accord s for the Middle problem and he expects grai n will be deliver an honest, unbiased so lution, East or the Dayton Accord for Bosnia. ava il ab le w hen needed. i. e. something acceptable to the Jeff said that they are 90% of the way to Ethiopians. Nevertheless the US Gov­ getting the OAU plan accepted and thus Jeff asked me why I had go ne to the ernment is working fu ll-tilt to get the the US sees no reaso n to launch another Department of Agricu Itu re w ith this Ethi opians to sign the OAU plan before formula for peace at this time. My problem si nce it is not blocking the a hot war begins again now that the dry susp icion is that if the OAU plan fails, grain shipments. I said that his office season has begun . He said a resolution the US will simply defer to the UN for a told me to go there and when Agricul­ w ill be achieved within th e next few next step, most likely a Security Council ture told me to go to USAID I realized weeks. reso lution to force both parties to a that I was on the o ld Washington Merry­ adopt a cease-fire, rather than try to Go-Round. I reiterated that, with the UN resolve it itself. abso lving Eritrea for the grain appropria­ *See article about Dane's appointment ti on, it is time for the US to follow su it. in the " Friends" section of The Herald, Part 2. 2 THE HERALD Winter 1999-2000 Whither the War? in several countries in w hich they have to bringing an end to this very destruc­ served. For example, when I was U.S. tive conflict. Th e US Government continues to lean Ambassador to Guinea, and subse­ more toward Ethiopia in this contest As the two sides hopefu lly enter the quently, as Pres ident Clinton's Spec ial than Eritrea. Th e rationale behind this final stages of adopting the 0.A.U.­ Envoy to Liberia (a role in which I met tilt is that our government be li eves it proposed cease-fire and fi nal reso lution w ith you as Under Secretary for Peace - mu st sustain what it perceives to be a of the dispute, I ask that you consider Keeping), I worked close ly with the frag ile reg ime in Ethiopia to prevent taking advantage of th e E&E RPCV s' FRIENDS OF LIBERIA, Returned Peace Corps chaos in the Horn of Africa.