Press Release – Forum for National Dialogue
June 6, 2018 On Tuesday, June 5, 2018, the Executive Committee of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the ruling front in Ethiopia, issued a statement of its decision to “fully accept and implement” the
June 6, 2018
On Tuesday, June 5, 2018, the Executive Committee of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the ruling front in Ethiopia, issued a statement of its decision to “fully accept and implement” the December 12, 2000 Algiers Agreement; and further called upon the Eritrean government to “take the same stand without any prerequisite and accept our call to bring back the long-lost peace of the two brother nations as it was before.”
The Forum for National Dialogue (FND) underscores the importance of the step Ethiopia has taken towards regional peace for it firmly believes that any peaceful resolution of conflicts is predicated on in-good-faith compliance and implementation of treaties, agreements, rulings, and law.
The FND believes that this commendable step should be followed by the immediate withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territories. This would signal Ethiopia’s unequivocal commitment to the rule of law, as mandated by the Eritrean Ethiopian Boundary Commission’s (EEBC) ruling, and help alleviate the air of mistrust, suspicion and hostility between the two countries.
The FND is fully aware that the Ethiopian government has always accepted “in principle” the EEBC’s verdict, but implementation was obstructed because it had unilaterally made “dialogue” a “prerequisite” to implementation. Tuesday’s decision of the Executive Committee of the ruling front (EPRDF) is a welcome, commendable and positive change and one that FND believes would pave the way for peace.
On multiple occasions, the Eritrean government has clearly stated its readiness to enter into a dialogue with Ethiopia as soon as Ethiopia withdraws its troops from its territory. Eritrea’s insistence on the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops is not a “prerequisite” of acceptance but a first act of compliance as mandated by the ruling.
The FND calls upon the Eritrean government, the United Nations and the African Union, the two guarantors of the Algiers Agreement, to seize this opportunity and help facilitate the speedy implementation of the EEBC’s decision.
The FND recognizes that the implementation of the border verdict is only the first step towards normalization of relations, the restoration of peace and neighborly cooperation between the two countries, and for this to materializes the peace process should not be the purview of the two governments only. Peace cannot be attained without good governance and it is vital that the democratic project is vigorously pursued in both countries.
The Eritrean and Ethiopian people, their civil societies and opposition parties should be an integral part of the peace and democratic process.
The FND recognizes that the border demarcation has nothing to do with the lack of democratic and constitutional rule in Eritrea, but the Eritrean regime has been using it as an excuse to prolong the suffering of the people. The decision of Ethiopia to “fully accept and implement” the Algiers Agreement, followed by the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops would deny the Eritrean regime any excuse to not implement its ratified constitution.
The FND calls upon the Eritrean regime to implement the 1997 ratified constitution, restore the free press, release political prisoners and prisoner of conscience, demobilize, and end the indefinite national service without any further dely.
Forum for National Dialogue
www.medrekh.org, www.erimedrek.org
Wedi Hagher June 7, 2018
Although Eritreans want see the border demarcated, followed by peace with Ethiopia, they are not sure the ruling party in Eritrea will do its part in the interest of Eritrea.
May Eritreans think the regime is more concerned about its survival more than bringing peace to the country. Hence, it’s of at most importance that civil society groups put their resources together, to rally the people around the idea of “not missing this unique opportunity” , and to send a clear message in that regard to the people inside the country.
This is an opportunity for all of us to show the world that we need peace.
Should the regime refuse to give peace a chance, we should be ready to consider other options, lest not lose this historical opportunity to demarcate the border, and keep future generation safe and at peace with their neighbors.
Gezae June 7, 2018
WHAT IS YUR PROBLEM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
እንሀለ እቲ መልሲ….THE ANSWER IS HERE:
””መርገጺና እዉጅን ንጹርን እዩ። ስምምዕ ኣልጀርስ ይኹን ውሳኔ ዶብ፡ ብዘይወላውል፡ ካብ ንቕበሎ 16 ዓመታት ‘ቆጺሩ ኣሎ።””
“Our position is documented and clear. It’s been 16 years since we’ve unequivocally accepted the Algiers Agreement and EEBC’s boundary decision.”
Mr Yemane G Meskel
Minster of information
Danilo June 7, 2018
I think Ethiopia is very mature to use all sorts of things to fight militarily, diplomatically, and way of propaganda. We know how claimed Eritrea post colonialism. And now wisely rotating the disk how to surrender Eritrea .the Badme issue is flush point but not the border issue. If it’s? And if Ethiopian is willing to abandon it doesn’t guarantee peace because it is there Eritrean territory and people still under Ethiopia control so far not in mention. Therfore, if peace to be prevail the colonial border should be respected. The so-called border rule awarded Ethiopia but not Eritrea in valuation of colonial treaty. . .
Hidat June 7, 2018
መንግስቲ ኤርትራ ንዉዕል ኣልጀርስ ብዘይ ዉዓል ሕደር ተቀቢሉ ንምትግባሩ ኣሎ ዝባሃል ጻዕሪ.ኣፍሲስሉ ኢዬ ንምንታይ ድኣ ዬ ሕጂ “” “”መነግስቲ ኤርትራ ነዚ ተረኪቡ ዘሎ ዕድል ክትቀመሉ ኣለዎ, እታ ኩዕሶ ኣብ ኤርትራ ኢያ ዘላ ናይ ኢሰያሰ መጣልዒ ባይታ ተወዲኡ ………ወዘተ..””ዘረባታት መን ኢዬ ዓቅሊ ዘጽብብ ዘሎ መንግስቲ ኤርትራ ወይስ እቶም ትማሊ መስቶም ዶብ ከይሕንጽ ዝሓንገዱ ወያነ ዘሻረዉ…..???
Hagos June 7, 2018
It was Issaias’ Eritrea that invaded Ethiopia in the name of Badme, therefore, the Ethiopians are likely to be always suspicious of the aggressor – Issaias.
Ethiopians will always demand comprehensive peace as they recognize the Algiers Agreement. If Issaias is too slow to accept the open call for peace, then the UN sanctions will continue and the international community will be happy to listen to Ethiopia. This way or that way, time is on the Ethiopians side. Eritrea is already a failed state, thanks to Issaias.
Simon G. June 7, 2018
መድረኽ ሰርቕቲ:
ካብ ህግደፍ ንስኻትኩም ትገዱ። ሕጂ ህዝቢ ከተደናግሩ ኡስ ኢልኩም ኣይትዕፈሩ።
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ኣሰና ናብ መድረኽ: ጽግዕ-ጽግዕ ‘ዶ ኣየብዘሐትን ኣብ ዝቐረባ ግዜ?
እንታይ ዩ ጉዳ?
ቅድሚ ሕጂ ምሽ ሰፍሕ ሓተታ ጺሕፋ ኔራ። ትዝክሩ ዶ?
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ወገናውያን መድረኽ: ንናይ ኪዳነ ታደሰ ከማን መልሲ ክህቡ ትብዓት ዘይብሎም፧
ፍንፉናት
merhawit June 7, 2018
Simon G.
ለባምዶ ትመስል ኣይነበርካን። ኣብ ተበጽሐ ዘይብሉስ፡ ክንዲዚ ዘለፋ፡, ብከምዚ እሞ ዝመጽእ ሃገር የለን፡ ዝመጽእ ዲሞክራሲ የለን። ሓውና፡- እናተጸዋወርካ፡ “ምእንቲ መጎጎ ትሕለፍ ኣንጭዋ” እንዳበልካ’ምበር፡ ብከምዚ ዘለፋ ዝብጻሕ ቁም ነገር የለን። ኣድቅቕ ኣቢልካ ሕሰበሉ፡፡ ሕሉ…ፍ ምዃን ኩሉ ጊዜ ጎዳኢ ኢዩ – ንኩሉ ወገን። ወድሓንካ ሓወይ።
Simon G. June 7, 2018
Merhawit,
Thank you for your advice.
We don’t want to repeat the same mistake as we did with isayas. We can’t afford to say “ምእንቲ መጎጎ ትሕለፍ ኣንጭዋ” at this time. There were many brave fighters that they were saying exactly what you are advising me now. Those who are alive, they wish they hadn’t said that.
So, while we fight against isayas, we can’t be blinded by others with highly likely dictators.
Do you really want to see another isayas?
merhawit June 8, 2018
Simon G.
I fully understand your apprehensiveness. But “Medrekh” is just one element among the myriad of opposition groupings. I don’t believe we’re such a dummy people as to endure a repressive system anymore.
What I wanted to tell you is that while your apprehensiveness might be legitimate, the way you expressed your argument was, to my taste, rather rude, derogatory, unuseful, divisive and hence detrimental to the common cause. You culd have made your point with more tactful ways. Hope we understand each other. Good day.
Wedi Hagher June 8, 2018
Despite being an opposition group, Medrek looks like a reformed Higdef.
A few veterans of the EPLF who were part and parcel of the ruling junta, so far have failed to look into past crimes and mistakes, that led to the current deep crisis, giving excuses that are unacceptable.
How do you think people will trust such people ?
Wedi Hagher June 8, 2018
They have every right to oppose the regime in their own way, but unless they expose the regime’s crimes, some of them were involved in, people will not trust them for any future role.
Amanios Makonnen June 7, 2018
It’s more than probable that sooner or later, the regime in Eritrea shall misuse the present event for its own propoganda purposes. It shall attempt to portray Isaias and his regime as having been unflinching and perseverant throughout all the years, which at last has brought fruition, compeling Ethiopia to fully abide by all the provisions of the EEBC ruling. That will be the end of the story from the perspective of the ad hominem regime of Isaias Afewerki, or so shall its attempted desire be. For it has nothing to offer to the Eritrean people, neither for the present, nor for the future, save for empty propaganda. It shall continue to indulge itself in boasting and take refuge, as always, in self-propagated past glory – real or imagined. And this claimed past glory is essentially used to bully the Eritrean population and to cow and subject it to absolute submission. It will thus avoid by all means to engage in any meaningful dialog with Ethiopia and further try to isolate and perpetuate its yoke of opppression of the Eritrean people.
But with the advent of Ethiopia’s declared acceptance for the full implementation of the EEBC ruling, a spectre is now haunting, to borrow a phrase from Marx, the despotic regime of Isaias Afewerki. The regime hasn’t yet given any official statement on the issue, and it seems the event has caught it by surprise like a bombshell dropped right on its house roof. Whatever excuses and deceptions it might bring at play to try to prolong its clinging to power, however, the death knell of the lawless regime in is already ringing in every corner of the country. The peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia, including the people of the Badme area, shall thence live in peace and fraternity, with geographical boundaries hardly playing any role.
merhawit June 8, 2018
Simon G.
I fully understand your apprehensiveness. But “Medrekh” is just one element among the myriad of opposition groupings. I don’t believe we’re such a dummy people as to endure a repressive system anymore.
What I wanted to tell you is that while your apprehensiveness might be legitimate, the way you expressed your argument was, to my taste, rather rude, derogatory, unuseful, divisive and hence detrimental to the common cause. You culd have made your point with more tactful ways. Hope we understand each other. Good day.
Simon G. June 8, 2018
Merhawit,
It is ok if we have different views but my intention is good. You stated:
“rude, derogatory, unuseful, divisive”
Rude—>YES
Derogatory—->NOPE, just put it as it is
Unseful—->NO, I am trying to save you and me and others from another dictator, probably worse that what we have
Divisive—>NOT at all. On the contrary, I am fighting against them because they are highly divisive. I can’t stay quiet, specially on this.