SEEKING PEACE Eritrea
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The Winter 1998-99 - Number 20, part 1 A publication of Ethiopia & Eritrea RPCVs, a n affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association This issue of The Herald is Part 1 of two parts. It focuses so lely on topics regarding Ethiopia and SEEKING PEACE Eritrea. Part 2, which will E&E RPCVs proposes role in settling conflict cover al I other topics by Leo Cecchini (Asmara 62 -64) usually covered in The Herald - news of friends, the Peace Corps, books of interest, etc. - will be published as soon as I am ab le to complete it. THIOPIA AND ERITREA ARE AT this area, although it appears to be on M Beil, editor Ewar and have been so si nee last the Eritrean side of the colonial border. May. There is an informal suspension of In May, 1998, Eritrea asserted its claim hostilities at this moment whi le the to this area by sending armed forces to Organization of African Unity (OAU) take it. This sparked a fight with seeks a peacefu I resolution of the Ethiopian irregular forces that the conflict. ETHIOPIA & ERITREA RPCVs (E&E Eritreans quickly overcame and routed. RPCVs) is assisting in this effort. The Ethiopians then sent regular forces to the border to face the Eritrean forces. I won't tire you by rehashing the barrage The situation now is that the two armies Inside of accusations and counter- accusations are dug in on both sides of the colonial made by both sides about who is to border, ready to resume a hot war at blame and who is committing atrocities. E&E RPCVs peace statement ...... 3 any moment. Worse, the dispute has Both countries share responsibility and Conflict News from the Horn ..... 4 spread to several other points along th e are causing pain. While there is tension lengthy border. Other News fromthe Horn ........ 7 along the entire border, focus is an area An lnterviewwith referred to as "Badme," which is also The peace efforts of the OAU and Ambassador Shinn ............... 12 the name of a vi II age. Apparently the others, particularly the USA, are stuck Ethiopians, while Eritrea was a part of Steering Committee .... .............. 14 on a key point. Ethiopia insists that that country, adm inistered this area from Eritrea withdraw its armed forces from Contacts of interest ..... ........... ... 14 a town on the Ethiopia side of the the area it occupied by force in May historical border set by treaty between that had until then been administered Ethiopia, Italy and the UK, when Eritrea by Ethiopia. Eritrea insists that its forces was a colony of Italy and Sudan a are on Eritrean territory and wi 11 not colony of the UK. After Eritrea indepen withdraw until Ethiopia agrees to a dence, Ethiopia continued to administer cessation of all hostilities and mediation I> or arbitration of the border dispute. Both area before the border is delineated and The Second World War gave Russia an have valid positions. demarcated by the OAU. To solve this opportunity to take back Finland. The problem we have proposed having E&E Finns staved off the invasion but knew RPCVs, through enCORPS (E&E RPCVs that, faced with overwhelming numbers Enter E&E RPCVs program for sending RPCVs back to the and strength, they could not hold Russia HE ETHIOPIAN AMBASSADOR TO two countries for short assignments), off forever. To avoid Russian domina Tthe USA and the Eritrean Ambassa adm inister the Badme area in the tion, the Finns made a pact with the dor to the UN presented their sides of context of a demilitarized zone moni devil - Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the dispute at our reunion. We immedi tored and enforced by the OAU. while this protected them from the ately formally called on both countries enCORPS would actually run the smal l Russians during the war, they wound up to resolve the dispute in a peaceful community of Badme in conjunction on the losing side. The Finns then manner. (See statement on page 3.) We with a council drawn from the local turned to brilliant diplomacy, a commit also offered our assistance and support population until the OAU delineated ment to staggering war reparations, and for the peace process. To insure that our and demarcated the border. an obedient attitude toward Russia, that sentiments were clearly understood, was know by the pejorative sobriquet fellow Steering Committee member The Eritrean side has given us a written "Finl andization," to maintain their Dave Gurr (Addis Ababa 62-64) and I acceptance of our proposal as long as it independence. visited the two ambassadors who spoke is accompanied by a formal cessation of at the reunion and the Eritrean Ambas hostilities. The US Government finds I wonder what "devil" the Eritreans will sador to the USA. We also called on the merit in our proposal and has discussed turn to to bolster defenses agai nst a State Department, mainly Tom it with the two sides. However, the more powerful, belligerent neighbor Gallagher (Agordat 62-64) - desk Ethiopians have not yet replied. We (Ethiopia has 57 million people to officer for Eritrea, the US Congress and have been told by many involved in Eritrea's less than three million)? Sudan? others involved in the peace process. finding a peaceful resolution that our Yemen? Iraq? How would this affect We reiterated our hopes and desires. proposal is sound and, indeed, could Eritrea's internal struggle to maintain a We were told by the Ethiopians and break the impasse. delicate balance between its Christian Eritrea ns that they understand the and Moslem peoples? Many will reply The good news is that there is no genuine concern of E&E RPCVs and that Eritrea fought an ultimately success shooting. The bad news is that shooting appreciate our desire to help. All three ful 30-year war against Ethiopia for can resume at the drop of a hat. The ambassadors had had close contact with independence. The Finns also fought the OAU has been successful in keeping the PCVs in their youth. Russians to a standstill in 1939. How two sides talking to it about a peaceful ever, given the enormous difference in During our meetings the two sides resolution. However, it has not yet won size and power, a neighbor that is 20 agreed to define the conflict as a border agreement to resolve the matter peace times larger will eventually win any dispute and as such, a tractable prob fully. armed conflict. lem. Both sides also referred to the same The Eritreans apparently place great maps in locating the border. Going a bit Finland:Russia :: Eritrea:Ethiopia further, Dave and I assembled what we stock in their conviction that a new NE OF THE THINGS I HAVE gathered from our various interlocutors conflict with Eritrea wi 11 cause an learned from living in several into a proposal - dubbed the "E&E 0 Ethiopia faced with rampant internal diverse countries is that there are more RPCV Proposal" - by one of our dissension to split into severa l smaller, similarities between the peoples of this contacts, for resolving the conflict. and thus more manageable, neighbors. planet than there are differences. It may Essentially, we ask both sides to move Perhaps, but that is a dangerous gamble. sound like a far stretch, but this conflict their armed forces 25 kms. back from Oddly enough, the Ethiopians harbor reminds me of Finland and its relation the colonial border. This would estab suspicions th at the Eritrean Government ship with its much larger neighbor, lish an "enabling environment" for will tumble if faced by a determined Russia. The Finns took advantage of the peaceful resolution of the border Ethi opian assault. chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution to dispute and would comply with the proclaim independence from Russia. I would urge both sides to follow the Ethiopian demand that Eritrea withdraw The Eritreans won theirs in the context Finnish-Russian model. Finland's careful from the area reclaimed by force in of major upheaval in Ethiopia. conduct of its post-World War II May. However, the Eritreans will not relationship with Russia turned out to be accept the Ethiopians returning to the productive for both sides. Finland 2 THE HERALD Winter 1998-99 developed into a modern, industrial country by catering to its neighbor's E&E RPCYs statement huge market. Russia had a reliable regarding the conflict between supplier of high-tech goods for its development. Eritrea and Ethiopia Eritrea's best prospects for economic progress lie in producing a wide range of goods for its big neighbor. Ethiopia could well use a productive neighbor for its own development. Compromise, The following statement was drafted by The statement was sent to: Isaias not confrontation, is the best remedy for the Steering Committee of ETHIOPIA & Afwerki, President of Eritrea; Me/es the current border conflict as well as all ERITREA RPCVs and read at the reunion in Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Los Angeles. Ambassador Haile Menkarios, Eritrean Keep your fingers crossed that the OAU Ambassador to the UN; Ambassador Out of deep affection and will bring the two side to a peacefu l Berhane Cebre-Cristos, Ethiopian resolution. We may also see the "E& E respect, we the Ethiopia and Ambassador to the US; Susan Rice, Asst RPCV Resolution" come into play. Also, Eritrea Returned Peace Corps Secretary of State; Secretary General Kofi Annan. A portion of the cover letter be prepared to answer any call we may Volunteers, view with distress make for volunteers to help implement a that accompanied the statement follows: the current conflict between peaceful resolution.