Since the Eritrean Authorities unleashed the crisis by mounting an invasion against Ethiopian territory in the northwestern part of the country, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has exerted the maximum possible effort to defuse the crisis and avert full-scale hostilities.
1. It cooperated with the Governments of the United States and Rwanda when they offered their good offices to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The Facililators drew up a package of proposals after three weeks of intensive efforts which involved shuttling between Addis Ababa and Asmara. The package recommends, inter alia, that:-
- Eritrean forces should withdraw from Badme and its environs to positions they had held before 6 May 1998;
- the previous civilian administration in the area should be restored and there should be an investigation into the events of 6 May 1998;
- border disputes between the two countries should be resolved by peaceful means based on established colonial treaties as well as international law applicable to such treaties, and with the involvement of a qualified technical team.
Ethiopia accepted the proposals of the Facilitators, while the Eritrean side prevaricated, continuing its preparations to unleash an all-out war against the Ethiopian peoples.
The proposals were given unqualified support by the Council of Ministers and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) at their meetings in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The OAU summit urgently appealed to the two parties to put and end to all hostilities concurrently and simultaneously, accept and implement the recommendations of the Facilitators. To this effect, the summit decided to send to Ethiopia and Eritrea a delegation of Heads of State and Government of the Central Organ, led by the current Chairman, H.E. President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso.
The peace proposals submitted by the United States and Rwandan Facilitators have received the widest possible support of the international community.
These developments have a clear message for the Eritrean Authorities: they should change their attitude and accept the formula for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
2. When the Eritrean invading forces suffered defeat and humiliation, the Authorities in Asmara resorted to air raids against the civilian population in Ethiopia. In their premeditated air actions, they showered cluster bombs on civilians including school children, mothers and the elderly, in violation of international humanitarian law. These cowardly acts of the Eritrean Government should be condemned by the international community.
3. The Eritrean Government has unleashed a campaign of terror against peaceful Ethiopian civilians residing in Eritrea. About 600 are known to the Ethiopian Government as having been imprisoned, tortured and suffering the most inhuman treatment. All over Eritrea, the Authorities have been herding thousands of Ethiopians in camps, confiscated their property and personal belongings and dumped them at the border. In this regard, all mandated international institutions should intervene with the Eritrean Authorities to put a halt to these attrocities.
4. Ethiopia is committed to give a chance to efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis, even when the chances are slim. However, Ethiopia reserves the right to take all measures that it deems appropriate to defend its sovereignty and dignity, including air strikes which will never target civilians or civilian institutions.
In accepting the proposal by friends to suspend further use of air strikes, Ethiopia has only demonstrated its wish to give the diplomatic means a chance to deal with the dispute.
When Ethiopia is convinced that the peace process has come to an deadlock, it will immediately stop observing the moratorium on air strikes.
June 15, 1998
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Press Inf. & Documentation G/Directorate
P.O.Box 393
Tel. 517345
Fax 514300
E-mail MFA.Addis@telecom.net.et