DATE=4/10/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-247880
TITLE=ERITREA PRESIDENT (L ONLY)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ASMARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ERITREA'S PRESIDENT SAYS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST
PUT MORE PRESSURE ON ETHIOPIA TO END THEIR BORDER WAR. AS
V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS, BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED TO A
REGIONAL PEACE PLAN, BUT THERE IS STILL NO PEACE.
TEXT: UNDER THE AGREEMENT, ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA WOULD BOTH PULL
BACK THEIR TROOPS, WITH INTERNATIONAL MONITORS CONTROLLING
DISPUTED AREAS, WHILE THE BORDER COMMISSION DRAWS UP A NEW MAP.
ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAIAS ASEWORKI SAYS HE IS READY TO GO AHEAD
WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY PLAN, WITHDRAWING HIS
TROOPS AT THE SAME TIME AS ETHIOPIA.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH VOA, PRESIDENT ISAIAS SAYS IT IS TIME THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PUTS PRESSURE ON THE O-A-U AND ETHIOPIA
TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR MORE
FIGHTING.
///FIRST ACT///
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS
REGARD IN MY OPINION. WHAT EXACTLY CAN WE EXPECT FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE
FRAMEWORK. YOU HAVE BEEN INSISTING THAT WE ACCEPT THE
FRAMEWORK. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES NOW FOR DELAYING THE
IMPLEMENTATION. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE O-A-U DOING? THE
O-A-U DOES NOT HAVE ANY EXCUSE FOR DELAY.
///END ACT
THE O-A-U PLAN HAS BEEN CONTENTIOUS FROM THE START. ETHIOPIA
ACCEPTED IT QUICKLY. ERITREA DELAYED, SAYING IT HAD CONCERNS
ABOUT WHAT AREAS ARE IN DISPUTE.
ETHIOPIA ACCUSED ERITREA OF STALLING IN HOPES OF KEEPING GROUND
IT SAYS ERITREA CAPTURED BY INVADING ETHIOPIA.
PRESIDENT ISAIAS SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS USED THE O-A-U PLAN AS A
PUBLIC RELATIONS EXERCISE, WITH NO REAL INTENTION OF FOLLOWING
THROUGH ON TROOP WITHDRAWAL.
///SECOND ACT///
THE ACCEPTANCE OF ETHIOPIA TO THE FRAMEWORK IS A P-R
EXERCISE. THEY HAD THEIR DOUBTS. THEY WERE NOT SURE
WHETHER TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT. WHEN THEY FELT THAT WE HAD
VERY STRONG RESERVATIONS TOWARD THE FRAMEWORK THEY SAID
THIS IS THE TIME TO USE THIS AS P-R. LET'S ACCEPT IT.
LET'S WIN THE DIPLOMATIC BATTLE THAT WILL WEAKEN THE
POSITION OF THE ERITREAN GOVERNMENT.
///END ACT///
ETHIOPIA WON MOST OF THE EARLY DIPLOMATIC BATTLES, REINFORCING
TROOPS AT THE FRONT AMIDST WARNINGS THAT ITS PATIENCE HAD LIMITS.
WHEN FIGHTING STARTED AGAIN EARLIER THIS YEAR, ETHIOPIA SAID IT
COULD NOT ALLOW ITSELF TO CONTINUE TO BE OCCUPIED BY ERITREA.
ERITREA FINALLY ACCEPTED THE O-A-U PLAN DAYS AFTER LOSING THE
BORDER TOWN OF BADAME. THEN, ETHIOPIA LOST A MAJOR BATTLE ON THE
CENTRAL TSORONA FRONT.
PRESIDENT ISAIAS SAYS ETHIOPIA MISCALCULATED AT TSORONA, COMING
UP WITH NEW PRE-CONDITIONS TO TORPEDO THE PEACE PROCESS WHILE
TRYING TO PUSH AHEAD MILITARILY.
///THIRD ACT///
WHEN WE ACCEPTED THIS, THEY CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF
PRECONDITIONS TRYING TO MAKE THE EXERCISE FUTILE. BUT
THAT WAS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE TSORONA FRONT
WOULD BE A BREAKTHROUGH AND THE MILITARY GAIN WOULD
PROBE THEM RIGHT ULTIMATELY. NOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT
BECAUSE THAT ASSUMPTION HAS FAILED.
///END ACT///
ETHIOPIA SAYS ERITREA SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM DISPUTED AREAS FIRST,
ALLOWING FOR THE RESTORATION OF ETHIOPIAN LOCAL AUTHORITY.
ERITREA WANTS THE PULLBACK TO BE SIMULTANEOUS.
PRESIDENT ISAIAS SAYS CASUALTIES AT TSORONA AND IN FIGHTING
AROUND BADAME HAS MADE ETHIOPIA'S T-P-L-F LEADERSHIP RELUCTANT TO
IMPLEMENT THE O-A-U PLAN BECAUSE PRESIDENT ISAIAS BELIEVES
ETHIOPIA INTENDS TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT.
///FOURTH ACT///
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK IS A BITTER PILL FOR
THE T-P-L-F TO ACCEPT AT THIS MOMENT. THEY HAVE LOST
MORE THAN 100 TANKS, THE BEST OF THEIR TANKS. THEY'VE
LOST THE BEST OF THEIR CREWS. THE MONEY SPENT ON THE
AMMUNITION IS TOO MUCH. IT IS BEYOND ANYONE'S
IMAGINATION. THE STRESS -- THE FINANCIAL STRESS, THE
ECONOMIC STRESS -- ON THE GOVERNMENT IS TREMENDOUS.
///END ACT///
ETHIOPIAN OFFICIALS SAY IT IS ECONOMIC STRESS ON ERITREA'S
GOVERNMENT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR.
WITH MORE THAN 55-MILLION PEOPLE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER
ECONOMY, ETHIOPIA BELIEVES IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE
ERITREA'S POPULATION OF THREE-MILLION MOVES AGAINST PRESIDENT
ISAIAS.
IN ELEVEN MONTHS OF WAR, BOTH COUNTRIES APPEAR TO HAVE RALLIED
AROUND THEIR LEADERS WITH MONEY AND RECRUITMENT TO THE FRONT,
HOPING THE OTHER SIDE FALLS APART FIRST. (SIGNED)
NEB/SS/DW/GE
10-Apr-99 8:44 AM EDT (1244 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
