23 April 2008: Time for Ethiopians and Eritreans to Talk

The conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea will be ten years old next month. Still a situation persists where the two countries do not talk to one another and even ordinary people don’t communicate across the border. Perhaps the time has come for a strong people-to-people initiative that does not replace diplomacy, but rather aims at building a constituency for peace in both countries - a constituency that could not be ignored by the political authorities.

Bookmark with:

Facebook

del.icio.us

Digg It!

It was in May 1998 that the conflict was ignited that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. In an astonishingly short time - in the space of a few days - an incident at a border area had graduated into a major military action and the taking of territory, strong declarations by the parliaments of the two states, the stopping of all flights and communications, the avoidance of ports, the ending of trade, the expulsion of citizens and the closing of borders. Ethiopia and Eritrea, once the best of friends had suddenly become the worst of enemies.

Tens of thousands of casualties later, the war was brought to an end and, following an agreement on cessation of hostilities, a peace agreement was signed in Algiers as the year 2000 drew to a close.

Eight years later, we can say that the best the peace agreement has done was to bring what could be described as a cold peace between the two countries. Ethiopia and Eritrea may be the only countries in the world that cannot talk to each other. Other countries - even North and South Korea - talk to one other at some point or another. But in our case, the governments do not talk - and even more, normal channels of people to people communication have been disrupted. There are no transport links between the two countries, there are no postal and telephone communications. The two countries are in a very abnormal and unusual situation. And this has gone on for ten years.

Between 1998 and 2000, Ethiopia was the party that refused to talk to Eritrea unless Eritrea withdrew its troops to positions they occupied prior to May 1998. But following the reversal of military fortune, it was Eritrea's turn to refuse dialogue, a stand that has been maintained to the present day.

The current situation has its background in the decision reached by the Boundary Commission relating to the border between the two countries. Whereas in earlier years it clearly objected to the Boundary Commission's decision on the border, Ethiopia now says that it accepts the decision unconditionally- although it does not like it - but stresses the centrality of dialogue in order to implement the decision. In its view, demarcation needs to take place in a framework of activities that reduce the tension and enmity prevalent today. Ethiopia only considers the border demarcated when - following the dialogue, pillars are placed on the ground. At the same time, however, Ethiopia believes that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement - and by extension - the Algiers Agreement has been violated by Eritrea as it had entered the Temporary Security Zone after having made it impossible for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to continue to monitor the zone. It therefore calls on the UN to restore the integrity of the Temporary Security Zone.

Eritrea rejects dialogue before demarcation. In fact, the position of Eritrea is that 'virtual demarcation' means that demarcation has been completed, and that the placing of pillars on the ground is immaterial for all legal and practical purposes. Proceeding from this Eritrea does not wish to discuss demarcation. It only wants the UN to ensure the evacuation of Ethiopian troops from what it believes are Eritrean territories granted to it by the decision of the Boundary Commission. Dialogue and normalization of relations would come later. Eritrea considers all other issues, such as the restrictions placed on UNMEE and its being compelled to leave the Temporary Security Zone, as technical.
The members of the UN Security Council differ on this matter. While all bemoan what has happened to UNMEE, some are more understanding of the Eritrean position, others of the Ethiopian position. There is a lack of appetite for any consideration of sanctions.

The Secretary General is expected to report the state of affairs to the Security Council, and later this month the Joint Consultation between the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council is due to take place in New York. The UN is chaired by South Africa and it is expected that the meeting will be chaired by President Thabo Mbeki. There are reports that the Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders have been invited to attend the meeting. It is good to hope, but chances of any breakthrough appear very slim.

This being the case, peacemaking efforts need to focus on - in the words of an established scholar knowledgeable of the region - managing the tension more successfully.

The failure of diplomacy has meant that for many, the only hope may lie in promoting a new initiative for peace in both countries.

This has been attempted before by scholars and also by religious leaders. Some efforts by external NGOs have been encouraging, although such initiatives were short-lived.

Rather than trying to look for solutions to difficult political problems, they could start by addressing the question, "what went wrong?" and by bringing the public into the debate through the media. A start could be made by organizing a national forum to bring together those most interested and with a contribution to make to identify the main themes and directions around which the Ethio-Eritrean discussion would revolve. The whole effort should be founded upon the conviction that the peoples of the two countries do not deserve the relationship that they find themselves in, and that the two governments should hear their voices.

One early outcome of such a forum would be the identification of each other’s concerns and fears. What is it that people and government really fear? Are these concerns justified? What can be done to address them? Each side will have to try to put itself in the position of the other for real communication to take place.

It is easy to propose a forum, it is much more difficult actually establish and nurture it.

In any event, bringing Ethiopians and Eritreans together is a worthy endeavor and must receive the support of all those who consider themselves to be friends of one or the other country, or both. It is also high time.