Open Letter to H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan and H.E. Mr. Amara Essay

By: Tesfaye Zerihun Yigzaw
Nashville, TN.

December 28, 2001


H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary General of United Nations
New York, USA

H.E. Mr. Amara Essay
Chairman of the African Union United Nations
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia


Dear Excellencies:

I am writing to ask you to reexamine the on going peace process and a boarder demarcation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is very important; we must find a better solution for a lasting peace to both countries, before its final decision will take place by the border commission to avert the future war.

For a lasting peace in that region, this peace process must address the fundamental interest of both people. I hope, you may share my concern with pertinent authorities and governments, such as the USA, EU member states, UN, OAU, the border Commission of international Court in Hague, and to individuals and organizations around the globe, who genuinely advocates peace and harmony among nations.

In many occasions, Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia, historians, intellectuals, and all alike from around the world have raised the Assab issue and the danger it may cause if left unresolved.

Herein, I underline the important issues and a solution for a lasting peace to both countries:

The primary concern regarding Assab has been in search for a lasting peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and it is as well, for the interest of the whole Horn of Africa and the region on the Red Sea.

When asking Assab, Ethiopians are not claiming a land that is not rightfully theirs, but it is a land, which is indisputably belongs to Ethiopia. To make it further clear, hereafter, I would like to note some facts:

I) Assab is incontestable land which is belongs to Ethiopia:

  1. Assab and its environ had never been under the treaty that was signed between Menelik II and Fascist Italy. The Sultan of Assab, a man who was a governor of Assab during that time, had entered a land lease agreement with a Catholic priest that was interested to use this area for missioner work. The treaty that was signed between Menelik II and Fascist Italy at the time, what was known an upper portion of today's Eritrea did not include part of Assab and it's surrounding area.


  2. Assab and its environ had fallen under Fascist Italy, when Italy violated the treaty that was signed, and had later invaded all the regions in ambition of Colonial expansionism.


  3. Fascist Italy had breached an agreement, and waged a war to annex the whole Ethiopian territory under its control. Therefore, this transgression had neutralized all agreements and treaties signed by both parities.


  4. Assab and its environ had been under the administration of a Wollo province located north east of Ethiopia, and it later became a self-administrative region during a Derge's government.

For this reason, there is no justification for Eritrea to claim Assab and its Environ.



II) Ethiopia is unjustifiably and it has been underrepresented to claim its rightful land:

Apparently, after a long and bitter struggle, the people of Ethiopia had over thrown a communist dictator government that ruled a country for about twenty years. However, prior to Derge's downfall, the two-guerilla movements namely, TPLF and EPLF were the two well-established political organizations that had in final, luckily assumed a power in Ethiopia.

These two organizations; TPLF (Tigrea People Liberation Front) and EPLF (Ertrean People Liberation Front), were a long time allay in arm during the struggle, and after up until a war broke out in 1998.

They held unconstitutional referendum based on a philosophy of the communist doctrine and were driven under a principle of ethnic administration.

These two organizations had been sharing power until 1998 when ruling over Ethiopia. However, the EPLF was exclusively in control of Eritrea, while still governing Ethiopia in conjunction with TPLF, while Eritrea was officially an independent country by the blessing of the TPLF authorities.

The people of Ethiopia and friends of Ethiopia, and well-respected historians from around the glob had protested the illegal referendum that had permitted the independence to Eritrea. Nevertheless, they were silenced by force and their plea had no avail. For these reasons the question of Assab has not been settled and is an issue that must be resolved to avoid a future conflicts:



III) Hasty decision by both parties without including the interest of the people of two countries:

  1. Before assuming power in Addis Ababa: the forces of TPLF and EPLF, while excluding other Ethiopians, had met in London prior to assuming power in Addis Ababa, with the mediation of the USA and British governments. At that meeting, it was decided that Ethiopia should have "a few miles of sea outlet", when Eritrea desires to go separate. However, the present Ethiopian government has been unwilling to raise this question for the obvious reason, and it will never does.


  2. The referendum that was allowed Eritrean independence otherwise would have been delay until appropriate democratic process was taken place. The decision that was made between the two parties (TPLF/EPLF) did not include the people of the two countries.


  3. For the above reasons, the people of Ethiopia have no representation on the decision-making regarding Assab and the border demarcation process that is currently taking place between Ethiopia and Eritrea.


  4. Therefore, with the absence of the people of Ethiopia and lack in genuine representation of the Ethiopian interest by the ruling government; it is necessary to call off the current border demarcation process between the two countries until an appropriate time will come.

IV) Future peace in a region will be in a serious danger if Assab remains under Eritrea:

Ethiopia, with the blessing of God is a proud nation that hosts a largest population on the region of Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is very divers in terms of ethnicity and religion that have all lived in harmony and respect to one other, except the danger, which has been brought upon them by the ruling elite.

The country posses the vast untapped resources, yet others are not under exploration. It's agricultural sector, which is only ten percent of arable lands that have been currently exploited; however, it will hope to feed other countries when fully developed. Therefore, with such potential of huge resources, and the magnitudes of ever-growing population, Ethiopia is obviously in need of its own seaport. Whether one like it or not, such demand will be an immanent. If its seaport of Assab remains under Eritrea, it will be a cause of the future, yet another devastating war that will expect the region when a legitimate government comes, and the people shall gain a freedom to exercise to retake its land that is unlawful given away to Eritrea.

To add to the above facts, it is unfair and unjust, letting Eritrea retain 1000-Km long seashores, which has only three million people, when compared with over sixty million populations of Ethiopia.



V) Nevertheless, if the current border demarcation is on pursuant, it must take on to account and consider a solution for a lasting peace, and hence, I outlined the two most impotent points to resolve the boarder crises of the two countries:

  1. There is no less of the seaport of Assab can bring peace in the region: Any border demarcation that will deny Ethiopia of a seaport is not going to be a solution for peace. An agreement that will be signed by a current government, and without the representation of the whole people of Ethiopia is unacceptable


  2. When Eritrea had been allowed to separate, there are ethnic groups of inhabitants on both lands, across the borders that have been divided into two countries. These ethnic groups, have never been given a chance to make their own choice, and therefore, such as the people of Afar, Kunama and others who have been living divided in both countries' borders must be given a chance of freedom to decide their own citizenship of either country. This will resolve a future border dispute, and exacts the border delimitation and demarcation. Therefore, let the people make the decision.

Sincerely;

Tesfaye Z. Yigzaw

cc: open Letter






[Opinions in this article are solely that of the writer.]


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