| Thank you for your fax/letter of 15-06-00. Friends of Eritrea in Europe are worried that the present negotiations have taken a dangerous turn. All are agreed that the intention is to divest Eritrea of its sovereignty by legal means. The ploy being applied in consummating this central objective is to pressure Eritrea into accepting the delimitation of the Eritrean/Ethiopian border without any reference to the principle of colonial boundary. Ethiopia and its friends have come to the conclusion that Eritrea is exhausted and can barely stand on its feet, and that its government is desperate to strike a deal in order to hang on to power. To Ethiopia and its friends an Eritrea which abandons the principle of colonial boundary shall in effect become a colony, sooner than later. Another ploy which Ethiopia and its friends have devised is to call for a rearrangement of territory (in the Zal-Ambesa, Tsorona, etc., areas), because accepting such a move on the part of Eritrea shall amount to forsaking the principle of colonial boundary. If the above-mentioned is the strategy, what are the tactics of Ethiopia and its friends? To load the negotiating package with secondary issues, such as war indemnity, identifying the guilty party in initiating the war, and limiting the size of the Eritrean army. These secondary issues are intended as consolation gifts by friends of Ethiopia to the Eritrean people for giving in to pressure. Equally dangerous is the formula bitterly known by us as the ‘solution by arbitration’. Friends of Eritrea and Eritrean intellectuals abroad are adamant that the following crucial points be pursued without retreat: 1. Eritrean independence was attained by military victory, and was legitimized by UN administered referendum. The Eritrean government does not have the mandate, as the Eritrean parliament does not possess the power to negotiate the sovereign status of Eritrea. 2. The only authority that can arbitrate on questions of sovereignty related border conflicts is the UN and not arbitration courts alone. Arbitration courts cannot pass judgements on issues that would amount to the recolonizing of Eritrea 3. The best way to avoid pressure from friends of Ethiopia is to point out the truth of the matter: that the Eritrean government cannot be party to an arrangement which would legalize and facilitate the recolonization of our country. If it comes to that, Ethiopia would have to complete the invasion of our country in full daylight, in defiance of the international community. Dear Haile, You have my full support in all your endeavors geared towards keeping our independence intact. Herui T. Bairu Stockholm/26-06-00 |
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