DATE=4/22/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-248451
TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA / U-N (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-N SPECIAL ENVOY MOHAMED SAHNOUN IS HEADING FOR THE HORN
OF AFRICA ON THE LATEST MISSION TO SEEK AN END TO THE BORDER WAR
BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA. AS V-O-A EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT
SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS, BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE ACCEPTED A REGIONAL
PEACE PLAN, BUT THERE IS STILL NO PEACE.
TEXT: ON PAPER, THE TWO COUNTRIES SEEM SO CLOSE IT IS A WONDER
THE WAR HAS GONE ON NEARLY A YEAR. IN PRACTICE, ETHIOPIA AND
ERITREA REMAIN DIVIDED BY A PEACE PLAN BOTH SAY THEY ACCEPT BUT
UNDERSTAND DIFFERENTLY.
MR. SAHNOUN WILL TRY BRIDGING THAT GAP IN MEETINGS WITH ERITREAN
PRESIDENT ISAYAS AFEWORKI AND ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER MELES
ZENAWI. HE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MEET OFFICIALS FROM THE
ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY WHO CAME-UP WITH THE PEACE PLAN IN
QUESTION.
THAT DEAL CALLS ON BOTH SIDES TO PULL-BACK THEIR TROOPS WITH
INTERNATIONAL MONITORS IN DISPUTED AREAS WHILE A BORDER
COMMISSION DRAWS-UP A NEW MAP.
THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THOSE TROOPS WITHDRAW AND WHAT AREAS THEY
LEAVE. PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS ERITREA IS ALREADY IN COMPLIANCE
WITH THE PLAN, HAVING PULLED-OUT OF THE BORDER TOWN OF BADAME.
PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS ETHIOPIA FORCED THE ERITREANS OUT OF
BADAME. HE WANTS ERITREA TO LEAVE ALL AREAS THAT WERE
ADMINISTERED BY ETHIOPIA BEFORE FIGHTING BEGAN LAST MAY.
PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN INVADED. PRESIDENT
ISAYAS SAYS ERITREA WAS DRAWN-INTO THE FIGHT, AND HE WANTS THE
U-N TO TAKE PART IN AN INVESTIGATION TO PROVE IT.
/// ISAYAS ACT ONE ///
WE HAVE ASKED FOR AN INVESTIGATION, AN INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATION TO VERIFY WHO STARTED THE FIGHTING MAY
SIXTH AND HOW THE FIGHTING DEVELOPED UNTIL OUR TROOPS
WERE FORCED TO ACT. IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.
POLITICS, YES, YOU CAN COMPROMISE, YOU CAN BE TOLERANT,
BUT THEN IT WAS NOT THE CASE.
/// END ACT ///
PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS PRIME MINISTER MELES AND OTHER ETHINIC
TIGRAYANS CONTROLLING ETHIOPIA'S GOVERNMENT HAVE BROUGHT ON THIS
WAR TO PUNISH ERITREA BECAUSE THEY ARE INTIMIDATED BY ERITREA'S
AMBITION.
/// ISAYAS ACT TWO ///
THIS TYPE OF WARFARE IS AN EXPRESSION OF THIS DESPERATE
DESIRE TO PUNISH, TO HUMILIATE, TO TAME, TO TEACH
SOMEONE YOU FEEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF SUPERIOR OR
VERY PROUD AND ARROGANT. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BLAMED US.
/// END ACT ///
/// OPT /// WHEN THEY WERE ALLIES AGAINST ETHIOPIAN LEADER
MENGISTU HAILLE MARIAM, PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS TIGRAYAN LEADERS
WERE JEALOUS OF WHAT HE CALLS ERITREA'S SUPERIOR COMBAT SKILLS.
WITH ERITREAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1993, PRESIDENT ISAYAS SAYS THAT
ANTAGONISM ONLY GOT WORSE.
/// OPT /// PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS PRESIDENT ISAYAS HAS
GOT IT ALL WRONG -- THAT BECAUSE ERITREANS WERE COLONIZED BY THE
ITALIANS, THEY ARE THE ONES WITH AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX, NOT
ETHIOPIANS WHO HAVE ALWAYS LIVED FREE TO RULE THEMSELVES.
/// MELES ACT ONE ///
PEOPLE SAY THAT ETHIOPIANS ARE IN GENERAL A PROUD
PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE ASSOCIATE THIS WITH THE FACT THAT
ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN INDEPENDENT WHILE THE REST OF THE
CONTINENT HAS BEEN COLONIZED. NOW IF COLONIZATION IS A
DEHUMINIZING EXPERIENCE, WE IN ETHIOPIA -- TIGRAY OR
OTHERWISE -- HAVE BEEN SPARED THAT DEHUMINIZING
EXPERIENCE. OUR COUSINS ACROSS THE BORDER IN ERITREA,
UNFORTUNATELY HAVE NOT BEEN SPARED THIS EXPERIENCE.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT
COLONIALISM, PARTICULARLLY THE ITALIAN VARIANT OF IT, IS
A REDEMING EXPERIENCE, A CAUSE OF CELEBRATION, A CAUSE
FOR PRIDE, THEN OBVIOUSLY IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WE
HAVE BEEN SPARED THIS EXPERIENCE, WE CAN ONLY BE
INFERIOR.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
PRIME MINISTER MELES SAYS HE HAS WATCHED PRESIDENT ISAYAS MAKE
ENEMIES OF ALMOST ALL HIS NEIGHBORS, PICKING FIGHTS WITH YEMEN,
DJIBOUTI, SUDAN, AND NOW ETHIOPIA. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS ALL
NATIONS HAVE AMBITION, IT IS WHEN THAT AMBITION CAUSES TROUBLE
FOR OTHERS THAT YOU HAVE WAR.
/// MELES ACT TWO ///
THE FACT THAT WE MAY NOT LIKE, AND I PERSONALLY DO
NOT LIKE, THIS COMPLETELY MISDIRECTED AND MISGUIDED
AMBITION IS NOT NECESSARILY CAUSE FOR WAR, NEED NOT BE
UNTIL AND UNLESS, AS I SAID, IT LEADS THEM TO TRAMPLE ON
MY TOES.
/// END ACT ///
REGIONAL DIPLOMATS SAY U-N ENVOY SAHNOUN WILL TRY AND BUILD ON
PRIME MINISTER MELES' SUGGESTION THAT THERE CAN BE AN IMMEDIATE
CEASEFIRE BEFORE ERITREAN TROOPS WITHDRAW AS LONG AS PRESIDENT
ISAYAS PROMISES TO DO SO ON A SET TIMETABLE.
ERITREA SAYS ETHIOPIA IS OFFERING NOTHING NEW. THERE ARE MORE
THAN 300-THOUSAND TROOPS DUG IN ALONG THE ROCKY BORDER, MOST NOW
MASSED AROUND THE TOWN OF BADAME. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/JWH
22-Apr-99 7:38 AM EDT (1138 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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