DATE=4/13/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43093
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA / O-A-U
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: DIPLOMATS FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (O-A-U)
ARE TRYING TO END THE BORDER WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA.
AS V-O-A'S SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS FROM ADDIS ABABA, BOTH COUNTRIES
HAVE ACCEPTED A PEACE PLAN, BUT THERE IS STILL NO PEACE.
TEXT: IN CONTINUING EFFORTS TO STOP THE FIGHTING, O-A-U
SPOKESMAN JUSTIN THUNDU SAYS THE PAN-AFRICAN ORGANIZATION IS
STILL TRYING TO FIND COMMON GROUND BETWEEN THESE FORMER ALLIES.
/// THUNDU ACT ///
YOU ARE TALKING OF A WAR SITUATION HERE, AND YOU HAVE
THE O-A-U HERE VERY, VERY KEEN AT PEACEMAKING. SO YOU
CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE THAT THIS IS AN ATTEMPT, AS WE
HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, TO BRING THE TWO PARTIES
TOGETHER, TALK TO THEM, AND SEE WHETHER WE CAN ARRIVE AT
AN AGREEMENT.
/// END ACT ///
THE O-A-U ALREADY HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT BOTH COUNTRIES SAY THEY
HAVE ACCEPTED. UNDER THIS PLAN, ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA WOULD BOTH
PULL BACK THEIR TROOPS WITH INTERNATIONAL MONITORS CONTROLLING
DISRUPTED AREAS WHILE A BORDER COMMISSION DRAWS UP A NEW BORDER
MAP.
ERITREA SAYS IT IS READY TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PLAN, WITHDRAWING
TROOPS AT THE SAME TIME AS ETHIOPIA. ETHIOPIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
SEYOUM MESFIN SAYS ERITREA MUST FIRST PULL OUT OF AREAS
ADMINISTERED BY ETHIOPIA BEFORE FIGHTING BEGAN LAST MAY. THEN,
ONCE LOCAL ETHIOPIAN AUTHORITY IS RESTORED, ETHIOPIA SAYS IT WILL
BE READY FOR A CEASEFIRE AND DEMILITARIZATION.
FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM SAYS ANYTHING LESS ON ERITREA'S PART IS A
CLEAR INDICATION OF ITS WILLINGNESS TO TRY ETHIOPIA'S PATIENCE.
/// SEYOUM ACT ///
OUR UNLIMITED READINESS TO COOPERATE WITH THIRD PARTIES
WHO HAVE WORKED FOR PEACE, OUR PATIENCE IN THE FACE OF
AGGRESSION, AND OUR FLEXIBILITY SHOULD NOT BE MISTAKEN
FOR BEING PRONE TO BEING PUSHED AROUND.
/// END ACT ///
CONFUSION ABOUT THE O-A-U PLAN RESTS WITH THE O-A-U ITSELF. IN
ANSWERING ERITREA'S QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFICS OF THE DEAL, THE
O-A-U TOLD PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI THAT WITHDRAWING FROM THE
BORDER TOWN OF BADAME AND ITS ENVIRONS MEANS WITHDRAWING FROM THE
TOWN AND THE VILLAGES AROUND IT.
ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI AGREED TO THE PLAN ON THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT BADAME AND ITS ENVIRONS MEANS BADAME AND ALL
OTHER TERRITORY ADMINISTERED BY ETHIOPIA ONE YEAR AGO, INCLUDING
AREAS HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS FARTHER EAST.
THE O-A-U SAYS IT HAS TAKEN NOTE OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S
POSITION, LEADING ETHIOPIANS TO CONCLUDE THAT THAT IS WHAT THE
DEAL MEANS. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT ERITREA THINKS THE DEAL
MEANS.
ASKED BY THE UNITED NATIONS TO CLARIFY THE PLAN, THE O-A-U HAS
FAILED TO RESOLVE THE VARYING INTERPRETATIONS OF THE PHRASE
"BADAME AND ITS ENVIRONS."
ERITREAN PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS IT IS MORE DELAY FROM AN
ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN LESS THAN SUCCESSFUL IN RESOLVING
AFRICAN CONFLICTS.
/// ISAYAS ACT ///
THIS IS A TEST CASE FOR THE O-A-U. THE O-A-U AND ITS
HISTORY SINCE 1964 AND THE CONFLICTS THAT HAVE ERUPTED
IN THIS CONTINENT, ITS ROLE IN RESOLVING THEM IS IN THE
RECORDS OF HISTORY. THE LIMITATIONS OF THE O-A-U ARE
VERY OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE. WE HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR BEING
CRITICAL, BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN CRITICAL. WE HAVE BEEN
VERY FRANK WITH THIS ORGANIZATION.
/// END ACT ///
WITH NEITHER SIDE WILLING TO RECONSIDER ITS INTERPRETATION OF THE
PLAN AND THE O-A-U ITSELF SHOWING LITTLE LEADERSHIP IN RESOLVING
THE DIFFERENCES, HISTORIAN PATRICK GILKES SAYS WHAT SHOULD BE A
RELATIVELY EASY BORDER PROBLEM TO SORT OUT COULD BECOME ANOTHER
EXTENDED CONFLICT IN THE HORN OF AFRICA.
/// GILKES ACT ///
THERE IS AN OBVIOUS POSSIBILITY SINCE THIS CONFLICT HAS
GONE ON FOR NEARLY A YEAR WITHOUT BEING SETTLED DESPITE
VERY CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE, EVEN IF IT HAS NOT BEEN
SUCCESSFUL, BY VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY, BY THE O-A-U, THAT IF IT HAS GONE ON FOR A
YEAR LIKE THIS, THAT THERE SEEMS THERE TO BE NO REAL
REASON WHY, IF ONE WANTS TO BE TOTALLY PESSIMISTIC, WHY
IT SHOULDN'T GO ON FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR MORE. BOTH SIDES
APPEAR TO BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT A CONTINUATION.
/// END ACT ///
IN THE LAST BIG ROUND OF FIGHTING ON THE CENTRAL TSORONA FRONT,
ERITREA SAYS IT KILLED 10-THOUSAND ETHIOPIANS. ETHIOPIA SAYS IT
KILLED AND WOUNDED NINE-THOUSAND ERITREANS. EACH COUNTRY BLAMES
THE OTHER FOR CONTINUING THE FIGHT WITH MORE THAN 300-THOUSAND
TROOPS DUG-IN ALONG THEIR ROCKY BORDER, MOST NOW CONCENTRATED ON
THE WESTERN BADAME FRONT. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/JWH
13-Apr-99 6:45 AM EDT (1045 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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