On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Seyoum transmitted a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea. This notified the State of Eritrea that in consideration of Eritrea’s material breaches of the Algiers Agreements, Ethiopia was entitled to consider other legal and peaceful options, including the termination of the Agreements or their suspension in whole or in part. The letter detailed the actions of Eritrea which gave rise to the breaches of the Algiers Agreements, notably the violations of the Transitional Security Zone and the severe interference of UNMEE’s most routine monitoring activity, quoting from the latest progress reports of the UN Secretary General. The letter also noted Eritrea’s violation of the Algiers Agreements in engaging in illegal activity threatening and using force against Ethiopia, quoting the UN Monitoring Group reports, and various public threats against Ethiopia. The letter underlined that the point of the Algiers Agreements was the permanent establishment of stability, security and peaceful relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It emphasized that the object and purpose of the Agreements could not be achieved without full compliance by Eritrea. Lasting peace was impossible so long as Eritrea threatened Ethiopia by its preparations for war, treated UNMEE as a hostage, and supported terrorist activities against Ethiopia. The letter said that Ethiopia was fully justified in concluding that Eritrea had demolished the Algiers Agreements. Ethiopia was therefore notifying Eritrea of its decision to consider all legal and peaceful options to ensure its rightful interests are protected.

Minister Seyoum also sent a copy of Ethiopia's Notification to the President of the United Nations Security Council, to the United Nations Secretary General, and to the other Witnesses of the Algiers Agreements. These are the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Foreign Minister of Algeria, the Secretary of State of the United States, and the Foreign Minister of Portugal in his capacity as President of the European Union. In a covering letter, the Minister stressed the Notification was a formal legal measure to draw the attention of the Government of Eritrea to the damage it was causing to the Algiers Agreements. It had the specific purpose of putting Eritrea on notice that unless Eritrea returns into compliance with the Agreements, its material breach of the Agreements would force Ethiopia to consider its peaceful and legal options under international law. It urged Eritrea to fulfill its obligations. Minister Seyoum made clear that the Notification did not reflect any Ethiopian desire to abrogate the Algiers Agreements; Ethiopia, he said, did not wish to be compelled to exercise its rights in this regard.

The Minister’s letter also stressed Ethiopia's scrupulous observance of its obligations under the Agreements. It noted that despite Ethiopia's readiness to demarcate the boundary on the basis of the delimitation decision of the EEBC, Eritrea has shown no willingness to comply with the Algiers Agreements. As the UN Secretary General has repeatedly reported to the Security Council, most recently in his Report of 18 July 2007, Eritrea has almost fully occupied the Temporary Security Zone; and has imposed severe restrictions on UNMEE. It has refused to back down in either case. Eritrea has also made repeated public threats against Ethiopia, and has been coordinating the activities of terrorist groups to destabilize the region. These are compelling reasons why it has become imperative for Ethiopia to remind Eritrea of its responsibilities and obligations under the Algiers Agreements.

The Minister accompanied his letter to the President of the Security Council with an Aide Memoire, setting out a detailed explanation of Ethiopia’s position and of the way forward in regard to the peace process. This made clear Ethiopia's commitment to the peaceful resolution of the dispute and its willingness to engage Eritrea in sincere, good faith discussions covering any matters covered by the Algiers Agreements which might constitute barriers to normal relations. The Aide Memoire noted that it was of great concern to Ethiopia that the Boundary Commission in its meeting on September 6 and 7, had, through its draft agenda, encouraged Eritrea not to commit itself to the complete removal of its forces from the TSZ or fully restore UNMEE operations. The Boundary Commission, despite the fact that demarcation was made impossible by Eritrea’s actions, then said it intended to declare the coordinates in its arbitrary Demarcation Statement of November 27, 2006 to be final at the end of November 2007.

This is unacceptable to Ethiopia: “the charade of an imaginary demarcation process by the Commission cannot create a legally valid boundary demarcation”. The deployment of UNMEE and the validity of the TSZ are based on the fact that demarcation has yet to be completed. The Commission cannot dispense with well-established international practice on demarcation because of illegal Eritrean interference in the demarcation process. Nor can it ignore its own previous orders and directions for demarcation including the necessity for fieldwork in all boundary sectors, the need to take into account flexibility to “avoid establishing a boundary which is manifestly impracticable”. The Commission’s Demarcation Directions also involve the need for comments by the Parties on the maps prepared by the Commission, accurate surveying of boundary markers after construction, and procedures for the notification of disagreements on the location of pillar placement.

Eritrea’s current threats, military actions and preparations make the Commission’s decision to promulgate a legally invalid boundary demarcation, very serious. The proposed action by the Commission could provide a pretext for another Eritrean invasion of Ethiopia. The Aide Memoire underlined that Ethiopia has accepted the Commission’s delimitation decision without qualification and stands ready to implement this decision. But, it noted, implementation cannot take place in the face of Eritrea’s clear and continued aggression and threats of force. Ethiopia believes the way forward is for the international community to reject Eritrea’s illegal conduct, for the integrity of the TSZ to be fully restored, as demanded by the Security Council, and for Eritrea to accept the commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes as set out in the Algiers Agreements. Any acceptance of the Boundary Commission’s imaginary demarcation line would encourage Eritrea in its threats of force. Ethiopia believes the international community should firmly condemn Eritrea’s breaches of the Algiers Agreements and its threats of force; and it urges the UN Security Council to avoid comment on the Boundary Commission’s November 27 statement or any other Commission actions on demarcation. In conclusion, the Aide Memoire emphasized that Ethiopia was fully committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, and entirely prepared to co-operate with the Witnesses to the Algiers Agreements and other members of the international community.

• Meanwhile, the US ambassador-designate to Eritrea, Mr. Ronald McMullen, attended confirmation hearings in the US Senate last week. In a statement to the Foreign Relations Committee, he said that the formerly co-operative bilateral US/Eritrean relationship had grown strained over the last decade. He said that reports of Eritrean support for militant extremists in Somalia, including groups and individuals with links to designated terrorists, were “very concerning”. He said, if confirmed, he would work to advance US national interests, re-establish co-operation with Eritrea on these issues, and ensure the message of strong US opposition to terrorism and its sponsors was consistently and unambiguously made clear. Mr. McMullen was previously deputy head of mission in Myanmar, and most recently director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement in the State Department. He told the Senators that there was grave concern about human rights issues in Eritrea, including democracy, the rule of law, freedom of the press and religious freedoms. He said thousands of individuals had been imprisoned including two Eritrean employees of the US embassy in Asmara since 2001. Several thousands of prisoners of conscience, he said, were being held without charge in indefinite and incommunicado detention. He emphasised that, if confirmed, he would seek to promote greater respect for human rights in Eritrea, the establishment of a democratic political culture and conditions conducive to addressing the country’s diverse development needs.

• The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, held talks with President Abdullahi Yusuf in Mogadjshu last weekend. He also had meetngs with Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, Speaker Aden Mohamed Nur and other officials as well as Ali Mahdi Mohamed, the Chairman of the successfully completed National Reconciliation Congress. Mr. Ould Abdullah called for the full implementation of the Congress’s resolutions and urged a broadening of the reconciliation process. During the weekend, Prime Minister Gedi reiterated the government’s openess to engage in direct talks with the opposition. He said that the government had opened the door to reconciliation and he appealed to anti-government groups to participate in the on-going reconciliation process. On Monday, the Asmara–based opposition, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, announced the names of members of its Executive Committee and a number of department heads. A majority of positions are held by extremist members of the Islamic Courts Union, including the former ICU Director of Security in Mogadishu, Yusuf Mohamed Siyad “Indha Adde”, a notorious warlord in the Lower Shebelle region who has been put in charge of the defense committee.

Meanwhile the UN’s 62 nd. Session of the General Assembly opened in New York on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin will be addressing the Assembly in the middle of next week. This week, speakers included Ghana’s President, John Kufour who told the Assembly that the United Nations should expedite its planning for the deployment of a peacekeeping force to replace the existing African Union mission in Somalia. President Kufour said that the AU’s efforts to bring peace to Somalia deserved commendation, but that the enormity of the challenges in Somalia went well beyond the capacity of the AU and required the concerted support of the UN. Last month the UN Security Council had asked the UN Secretary General to consult with the AU on what further logistical, financial or technical support the UN might provide. President Kufour urged the UN to consider that request seriously and allow AU members such as Ghana,which had pledged to contribute troops, to do so. The current mandate of the AU force, AMISOM, expires in February; and President Kufour encouraged the UN to think of a UN force to replace it.

• Ethiopian-United States relations are currently marked by paradox. On the official level they are excellent. At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress has been passing a draft bill most of whose provisions are very intrusive, demanding alterations in Ethiopian laws, and making no attempt to acknowledge Ethiopia as an independent sovereign state. The sponsors of the bill, not exactly friendly to Ethiopia, have been working together with a vocal committee of Ethiopian opposition supporters in the Diaspora, and trying to push this bill for over two years. In a statement, Samuel Assefa, Ambassador of Ethiopia in Washington, said that the bill entirely ignored recent democratic initiatives taken in Ethiopia, and the immense progress made in creating a competative pluralistic system of government over the last few years. He noted the bill was a blatant attempt to use the US Congress in support of a partisan Ethiopian disapora political agenda, and could only be described as indulging in officious meddling in Ethiopia’s internal affairs. Ambassador Samuel said that Congressman Payne also entirely ignored the context of the region, a region in which Ethiopia, a close friend of the US in the fight against terrorism and in the efforts to promote regional stability, was facing a serious threat from Eritrea. Eritrea is a state that the US State Department is considering listing as a state sponsor of terrorism. Rather than criticise Eritrea which has never made any effort to hold elections,the bill prefers to condemn a democratic ally of the United States. It can be expected that this exercise in Ethiopia-bashing will continue. Those responsible for the bill have announced their intention to hold a hearing in early October. Members of the opposition in the Diaspora have aleady been invited to attend.

• On Monday, Prime Minister Meles meeting visiting president of the Chinese Export Import Bank, Mr.Li Ruogu, expressed keen interest to scale up Ethiopia’s co-operation with China. He urged more co-operation in different development projects. Ethiopia and China have recently signed a 500 million USD project finance loan. China's Export Import Bank president also signed an agreement with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, providing for a 208 million USD loan. The money will go to finance the expansion of the Mugher Cement Enterprise and the construction of Fincha-Amerti-Neshe multi-purpose projects. These include hydro power generation and irrigation schemes. The total cost of the two projects is 276 million USD. The balance will be covered by the government. China has made available grants, interest free loans and technical assistance to boost Ethiopia's on-going development endeavors. Trade between the two countries has shown steady growth and currently stands at over 500 million USD a year.

• Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, in a lively discussion with representatives of Ethiopian youth for a second time this week, emphasized the need to be organized in order to get benefits accruing from on-going economic, political and social activities. During questions raised by the over-6000 youngsters drawn from across the nation, Prime Minister Meles said the youth have to organize themselves at all levels to mitigate social and economic challenges. He noted the government has taken steps to set up permanent and legal forums to help the youngsters have the opportunity to interact with government organs at different levels. Ethiopian youth make up about 30 percent of the population, over 20 million. They should equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to assume administrative positions and render better leadership. Youngsters from rural Ethiopia will be benefiting from income generating schemes particularly designed to address scarcity of farm plots and unemployment, focusing on micro as well as small-scale enterprises. The Prime Minister was honored with a portrait of Emperor Tewodros symbolizing resilience and Ethiopian patriotism in fighting the enemy, in this case poverty. Prime Minister Meles urged the youth to be forthcoming, not to wait until they are provided with what they want." You should come and claim it", said the Premier.

• One hundred and fifty members of the Abyssinian Baptist Church have been on a two week pilgrimage to Ethiopia to discover their spiritual roots. Their pastor, the Reverend Calvin Butts said the visit seeks to educate African-Americans about a biblically significant country, their "motherland", and to explore ways to assist the economic development of Ethiopia. As part of its own upcoming bicentennial, the Church joined Ethiopia in its year-long Millennium festival. During a meeting with the Reverend Butts and members of the Abyssinian Baptist Evangelical Church, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopia hoped to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as part of its bid to beat poverty in the new Millennium. Having devised strategies and policies to fight poverty, the government , said the Premier, has been implementing an assortment of development packages, focusing on the expansion of educational and health facilities with due attention given to improving the quality of services provided. The Prime Minister said religious tolerance was at the centre of peaceful coexistence in Ethiopia’s long history. The followers of various religions lived together in mutual respect and with a sense of unity. He expressed his gratitude to the visitors for coming to Ethiopia to join the Millennium celebrations. For his part, the Reverend Butts said he and members of his congregation were delighted to have the chance to witness development particularly in the areas of education and health. Ethiopia, he said, is a symbol of pride and liberty for black people across the globe. He pledged assistance to shore up the national effort to reduce poverty. The Addis Ababa University has bestowed an honorary doctorate on the Reverend Calvin Butts in recognition of his contribution to development in Africa. The Church’s connection to Ethiopia goes back to its foundation in 1808 by free slaves and Ethiopian merchant seamen who refused to worship in segregated churches.

• The governments of Ethiopia and Mexico have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a mechanism to hold periodic high level consultations. The aim is to widen co-operation in the areas of politics, economics, commerce, science, technical matters, environmental protection, education and culture. The agreement was signed in New York by Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin for Ethiopia and Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano for the United Mexican States. Regular meetings and contacts will be held and working groups may be set up to evaluate and determine co-operation activities. The Memorandum of Understanding will remain in force for five years. Ethiopia and Mexico established diplomatic relations in 1951 and exchanged ambassadors in 1962. Mexico closed its embassy in Addis Ababa on economic grounds in 1989; Ethiopia followed suit in 1990, but maintained an honorary consulate in Mexico City. Mexico re-opened its embassy in Addis Ababa earlier this year.

• On Wednesday, a day-long Ethiopian Millennium Summit of Religious Fathers on Peace opend in Addis Ababa. In a keynote address to the summit, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and President of the World Council of Churches, Abuna Paulos, cited lack of peace, terrorism, conflict, poverty and inequitable distribution of resources, HIV/AIDs and environmental degredation as the major challenges of humanity. The Patriarch underscored the duty of church leaders in discharging their apostolic responsibilities as instructed by Jesus Christ. “ The natural beauty and the endowment of earth have been degraded and HIV victims are chronically persistent in sub-Saharan Africa”, he said, and urged particpants to look for ways to allievate the burden and pain of victims. Deputy Prime Minister, Addisu Legesse, addressing the summit stressed its importance in the celebration of the Ethiopian Millennium, believed to be the threshold of the Ethiopian Renaissance. The Deputy Premier said the first Millennium saw the creation of Axum and the second Lalibela, while the third will bring about the defeat of poverty. The conference, he said would produce its own approach to the problems of Ethiopia and of Africa. They could, he said, offer their own vision of tolerance, the maintence of peace and harmony, human development and security.