A Week in the Horn November 30, 2007

The Week in the Horn

30.11.2007

The UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator visits Somali Regional State
Prime Minister’s Question time in Parliament
UN Secretary-General writes to Prime Minister Meles and President Issayas
The UN Representative for Somalia meets Somalia’s new Prime Minister
Congressional delegations meet the Prime Minister
Starbucks promises a coffee Farmers Support Centre in Addis Ababa
The Arab Ambassadors’ Council meets President Girma
A Djibouti-Ethiopia Border Security Workshop
Ethiopia-EU dialogue on migration and development

This week, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sir John Holmes, paid a three day visit to Ethiopia. The main purpose of his visit was to discuss the current situation in the Somali Region and look at ways and means to avert any possible future crisis. He traveled to the regional capital, Jigjiga and visited UN operations in Kebridehar on Tuesday. During his visit he met with regional state officials and had talks on the current situation in the Somali Region with the Prime Minister, and with Deputy Prime Minister Addisu Legesse and Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin. Talking to the press at the end of his visit he said that he thought his visit provided a good reflection of the cooperation between his office (OCHA) and the Ethiopian government. He said the government was responsive to the need to arrive at a common assessment of the situation in the Somali region to avert any possible crisis. He noted that the UN has sent more than 7,300 tonnes of food to the five areas where military activity had been taking place. Currently the distribution is limited to the main towns, the next stage is to cover other areas as well, but progress was good. Sir John said that over the next three months another 53,000 tonnes would be needed, and he stressed that the UN would be working together with the government in order to secure the necessary amount of food. The UN has also said that preparations are being finalized to deploy another 10 mobile health teams, to add to the 5 already sent to the region. Sir John encouraged local officials to remove any barriers to transport operations and to increase the number of NGOs operating to 40; currently 19 are authorized to operate. Sir John, who stressed that his visit should not be seen as either supporting or objecting to any party, said the situation in the region could be described as serious but not catastrophic. He emphasized that if action takes place immediately any possible catastrophe could be averted; both the Government of Ethiopia and the UN wanted to make sure this was the case. Sir John also said he had raised concerns about the human rights situation. He said the Prime Minister took the issue very seriously and recognized that damage could be caused by counter-insurgency operations, but he said the Prime Minister was confident that there had been no human rights abuse: “not only because we believe in the respect for human rights but because we know how to fight an insurgency.” Sir John also noted that the recommendation of the UN assessment team that the government needs to make serious investigation was received positively. Referring to the security situation he said that he had seen little evidence of any military presence; although at the moment universal access to the region was not possible, the situation was improving. It was the view of Ethiopian officials, and this was expressed in the meetings with Sir John including the working lunch he had with Foreign Minister Seyoum, that there has been a lot of exaggeration and even fabricated stories concerning the humanitarian situation in the Ogaden. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator traveled on to Khartoum and Darfur after leaving Ethiopia and will visit Nairobi at the weekend.

Following the revised rules adopted by Parliament, Prime Minister Meles faced MPs questions on Tuesday. Among areas covered were the controversial H.R. 2003 bill recently passed by the US House of Representatives, Ethiopia’s role in Somalia and the Ethiopia Eritrea border issue and relations with Eritrea. On Somalia, Prime Minister Meles said Ethiopian forces had postponed their withdrawal. It was necessary to be responsible and not to leave a vacuum. He said that Ethiopia had had the belief and expectation that a situation would be created for Ethiopia to be able to withdraw. This had not happened because it took longer to revitalize the TFG security forces than expected and there had been a delay in the deployment of peacekeepers. He noted that it had been due to a clear and present danger that Ethiopia intervened in Somalia. This had only come after a number of unproductive consultations with the leadership of the Courts over security concerns and the involvement of Eritrea in an attempt to undermine Ethiopia's security. But all attempts were in vain and the ICU continued to avail itself as an instrument for anti-Ethiopia forces. Although there is a lot to be desired, Somalia has seen progress in convening the National Reconciliation Congress that brought on board all the clans giving them the opportunity to deliberate on Somalia's challenges and make valuable recommendations including the one that paved the way for the appointment of the new Prime Minister following an amendment of the Charter. Prime Minister Meles said the political process is on track and what the TFG and Ethiopian forces are doing now is robust policing particularly in the capital, Mogadishu. He said more has to be done to boost the capacity of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and its institutions. And this could be achieved with commitment and support of the international community.

Speaking about the draft bill HR-2003, Prime Minister Meles expressed his strong conviction that the Senate and the President will turn it down because it would damage the current friendly ties between the two nations. The Ethiopian people, he said, own a Constitution upholding their sovereignty. This is expressed in a Parliament which is competent to make laws. It is unbecoming for an opposition, which believes it might become the government, to support approval of a law by another parliament which in fact undermines the sovereignty of the very people they profess to represent. The Prime Minister also noted that the Representatives who were responsible for H.R.2003 were not motivated by any agenda of democratic values. He emphasized that, come what may, Ethiopia would keep up the momentum of its economic growth relying substantially on its own indigenous capability and resources. It would also remain engaged in pursuing the furtherance of friendly ties to promote mutual interests with the United States.

On Eritrea, Prime Minister Meles said there will be no third chance for Eritrea to invade Ethiopia, should it have the audacity to try to do so again. The Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission had given its verdict and Ethiopia had accepted the delimitation decision of April 2002 as final and binding. What remains is demarcation for which, he stressed, dialogue is a necessary element of international practice. The Eritrean Government, he said, remained adamant in its refusal to end the current stalemate in a way to ensure durable peace between the two countries. Prime Minister Meles said that in the face of the EEBC's decisions the boundary dispute could no longer serve as a pretext for conflict. Eritrea, in contravention of the Algiers's Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, had violated the integrity of the Temporary Security Zone and restricted the movement of UNMEE, making it almost impossible for UNMEE to carry on with its mandate of monitoring military movements in the demilitarized zone. Equally, said the Premier, the Eritrean Government had been mobilizing opposition groups, attempting to destabilize Ethiopia, and violating another of the provisions of the pact that ended the 1998-2000 war. Citing the latest attempt to cause havoc on the eve of the Ethiopian Millennium, Prime Minister Meles said that Ethiopians, conscious of Eritrea’s sinister motives and on their guard against what he called Trojan Horse activity, had successfully thwarted planned terrorist acts masterminded by the Eritrean regime. He said that the government as a result had been forced to increase the defense budget to build up the capability of the army to deter any attempts at provocation or drive back any invasion, but the increase had been by less than 2% of the total budget. Prime Minister Meles said that Eritrea was using groups like the ONLF, OLF, al-Itihaad and others in its proxy war against Ethiopia. These same groups, he said, had also been engaged alongside the Islamic Courts Union in the battle to control Mogadishu, attempting to prepare a future launching -pad for attacks on Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles said the only battle Ethiopia was committed to was its battle against impoverishment.

Recent pronouncements from Asmara have continued to make it clear that Eritrea is more interested in a boundary dispute than any valid demarcation process that could ensure sustainable peace. Eritrea has placed numerous obstacles in the way of a valid process of demarcation that should include extensive fieldwork and assessment of facts on the ground. It has also taken measures that constitute material breaches of the Algiers Agreements. These fundamental violations should be reversed for a valid process of demarcation to proceed as required under international law. Valid demarcation would involve discussions and consultations between the parties directly or through a third party. Ethiopia will not allow any demarcation that will perpetuate rather than completely resolve the boundary and other disputes. Ethiopia has made it clear that it is committed to a demarcation process that will ensure sustainable peace consistent with the objectives and aims of the Algiers Agreements and with international law and practice. It is now up to Ethiopia and Eritrea to heed the calls made by the Secretary General in his report of November 2007, and the Presidential Statement of Security Council earlier this month, to discharge their primary responsibility to resolve their disputes peacefully in accordance with the Algiers Agreements and international law and to accept third party facilitation, and in particular initiatives by the Secretary General.

On Thursday, the UN Secretary-General wrote to both Prime Minister Meles and President Issayas Aferwerki, in advance of the conclusion of the mandate of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission on December 1

^st. The Secretary-General said he welcomed the repeated acceptance without precondition by both Ethiopia and Eritrea of the final and binding delimitation decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC). He noted that this had been reiterated in recent letters to him and to the EEBC. He went on to say that non-implementation of the decision, “as well as the erosion of other aspects of the two Agreements signed in Algiers in 2000”, continue to undermine the prospects for a lasting peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He pointed out that the Security Council has urged the parties to take concrete steps towards implementation of the demarcation decision and to comply fully with the Algiers Agreements. He said that the Security Council had also indicated its strong support for any steps that he might take, and he was pleased to note that both Ethiopia and Eritrea had expressed their readiness to work with him. He therefore wished to inform both parties that he would be sending Mr. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs next week “to discuss with you ways to begin the demarcation process in accordance with the Algiers Agreements”. The Secretary-General said that on Mr. Pascoe’s return he would report to the Security Council on “any progress made by the parties in the implementation of their commitments under the Algiers Agreements”.

This letter followed letters sent to him by Prime Minister Meles and President Issayas. Prime Minister Meles’ letter, dated November 23^rd. pointed out that it was the Government of Eritrea that was responsible for the latest tension about the border. It was Eritrea which had occupied the Temporary Security Zone and refused the requests of both the Secretary-General and the Security Council to withdraw its forces. Eritrea had also refused to lift the restrictions on UNMEE. It was in fact Eritrea that was in violation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, not Ethiopia. The Prime Minister noted that the Boundary Commission had decided in September that the continuation of its activities served no useful purpose. He said that Ethiopia fully agreed with this decision. He thought this might offer an opportunity to break the current deadlock. The Prime Minister said that Ethiopia and Eritrea had the primary responsibility for resolving the border issue and moving the demarcation process forward. He said he fully supported the efforts of the Secretary-General to be a bridge between Ethiopia and Eritrea and that Ethiopia would give its support to the appointment of a Special Representative. He stressed that Ethiopia remained totally committed to the full implementation of the Algiers Agreements, and indeed counted on the help and involvement of the Secretary-General to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace in the region. He also emphasized that Ethiopia was ready to provide the fullest cooperation for the Secretary-General’s efforts.

In his letter to the Secretary-General on November 24

^th, President Issayas said that he was puzzled by the expression of “increasing tension” in an earlier letter of the Secretary-General. He thought this might be based on information “deliberately disseminated by certain quarters” to create tension or divert attention from the cardinal issue. President Issayas said he could not express any views about the Boundary Commission at this stage. He said he was unable to comment on the possible appointment of a Special Representative by the Secretary-General. He also said he could not comment on the Secretary-General’s intention to send identical letters to himself and Prime Minister Meles, adding that it was difficult to contemplate what arrangements could be envisaged outside the measures proposed by the Boundary Commission. He concluded by saying “our sovereign territories remain occupied for five years now…I therefore urge you again to shoulder your responsibilities to ensure the rule of law and the prevalence of justice.”

Foreign Minister Seyoum also wrote to the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission President, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, this week. He noted that the EEBC had repeatedly made clear its decision to end its work and its existence on December 1

^st. He said that neither party at the last meeting of the Commission at The Hague in September had raised any objection to the Commission’s decision to end its work and its existence at the end of this month. “Ethiopia”, he added, “respects the Commission’s decision in this regard.” He noted that any remaining work for the Commission was administrative, and that Ethiopia, while deeply saddened by the sudden death of Sir Arthur Watts, saw no necessity to appoint a replacement commissioner, and “does not intend to do so.”