In what seem to be a desperate effort to make peace with Eritrea, executive committee of the ruling part in Ethiopia announces that it will fully implement the Algiers Peace Agreement which obviously includes accepting Boundary Commission ruling which gave Bademe to Eritrea.

borkena

June 5,2018

In the first day of Ethiopia’s ruling coalition executive committee meeting, the party announced that it will fully accept and implement Algiers Agreement which ended devastating two years war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The agreement,which established the Boundary Commission and Claims Commission, was signed in December 2000. However, the two countries remained in a state of no-peace-no war for more than twenty years. There were deadly skirmishes between the two countries during this time bud did not lead to full scale war.

Further, the administrations in Asmara and Addis Ababa have been engaged in proxy wars as both sides have been supporting opposition forces.

In a meeting which started today, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) executive committee said that it carried out “an in-depth evaluation the situation of Ethiopia and Eritrea and called for an end to the conflict between the two [Eritrea and Ethiopia] brotherly people and for a durable peace”

The statement from the executive committee which is sent to government affiliated media outlets noted that the two years war between the two countries destroyed families and subjected citizens living along the border area to unending instability and psychological trauma, and that it brought about economic and social damages for people in both countries.

Having stated its readiness and commitment to end the existing hostile relation with Eritrea, Executive Committee of the EPRDF called on Eritrea to respond positively to the call for peace without any precondition and work towards the restoration of peace.

Prime minister Abiy Ahmed unveiled his intentions for rapprochement policy vis-a-vis relation with Eritrea during his inaugural speech in the Ethiopian parliament and he reportedly endeavored to spoke to Eritrean president on the phone when he visited Saudi Arabia sometime last month through the mediation of the Saudi Prince. However, Isayas Afeworqi reportedly declined the invitation for a telephone conversation.

While Abiy’s policy initiative regarding Eritrea is believed to be a move to solve external challenges to the regime in Horn of Africa, it was not expected that the Eritrean issue would be a priority and that the government would go to the extent of giving away the village town of Badme which was the alleged cause for the two years war. More than eighty thousand soldiers are believed to have died from both sides.

After protest against Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated rule in Ethiopia, the party has been working behind closed door to resolve the conflict with Eritrea and was ready, it was reported, that it is ready to pay anything for it including the border town of Badme.

Apart from that Tigran intellectuals, elites and entrepreneurs are working tirelessly to end hostility with Eritrea.

Speculation as to whether the effort will bear fruit is not that high. Rather, some analysts seem to demonstrate reservations about it.







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