From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Jul 06 2010 - 09:40:44 EDT
http://rnanews.com/politics/3724-after-ethiopia-eritrea-will-also-be-honored-for-rwanda-liberation
After
Ethiopia, Eritrea will also be honored for Rwanda liberation
Sunday, 04 July 2010 14:48 by RNA Reporters
Kigali: President Kagame moved Sunday to diffuse a possible regional
diplomatic fallout with the announcement that Ethiopia’s ache-rival Eritrea
will also be honoured for contributing to the liberation of Rwanda, RNA
reports.
Liberation Day 2009: President Kagame presenting Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
with "Uruti" National Liberation Medal and "Umurinzi" Campaign Against
Genocide Medal (Photo: PPU)
In speech for Liberation Day July 04, President Kagame said among the many
individuals who contributed to the liberation of Rwanda are Heads of States
who will be honoured at a latter date when they have time to receive their
awards.
“Among them is President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea,” said Kagame amid
applause from the thousands in the Amahoro stadium. “[Last year] we honoured
two heads of state including President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Ethiopian
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.”
He added: “Just like we honoured these two personally present, it is in this
regard that we want to honour the contribution of the President of Eritrea
such that he can deliver our appreciation to the people of Eritrea.”
During the 2009 Liberation Day, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was
awarded by government here with two highest national medals. The first
medal, URUTI, was given to Meles in recognition of his contribution in
toppling down the former regime and bringing peace, and socio-economic
development in Ethiopia.
The other medal, UMURINZI, was awarded to Meles in recognition of Ethiopia’s
contribution in deploying peace keepers to help halt the war which
culminated into the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.
URUTI is a Rwanda’s Liberation Medal and UMURINZI is Rwanda’s Campaign
against Genocide Medal.
The latest announcement by government to award the reclusive Eritrean leader
whose country is under UN and regional sanctions, positions Rwanda as
neutral partner between Eritrea and Ethiopia, say observers.
When Eritrea, formally a province of Ethiopia, gained its independence in
1993, after a long guerrilla war, parts of the border was never fixed with
maps and surveying markers.
The two fought a war over their border from 1998 to 2000 in which more than
80,000 people died. Relations have been tense since and the border remains
an issue.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says his country wants peace, but
accuses Eritrea of acting irrationally. Eritrea's president, Isays Afeworki
(in photo), says Ethiopia is continuing the war to humiliate the Eritreans.
At the same occasion today, government honoured Ambassador Haile Menkerios,
a former top Eritrean diplomat and currently United Nations Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs. Mr. Menkerios was awarded URUTI for
his role in helping link RPF rebel representatives to Ethiopian, Eritrea and
Ugandan government officials during the rebel war.
In his award acceptance speech, Amb Menkerios described the Juvenal
Habyarimana government as “heinous regime” which he accused of massacring
Tutsis. He said because of the honour of the award, “I hardly feel worthy to
receive” the URUTI award.
President Kagame said later in his address that the awards to Amb Menkerios
and others are for their individual contribution to the liberation of
Rwanda, but that there have always been periods to honour countries.
In the speech which was largely general – as compared to the recent firry
ones he has delivered, President Kagame rallied the country saying
liberation was still going on.
“…a lot has been done, a lot more needs to be done,” he said, arguing the
country to have a shift in mindset. Liberation starts with the mindset, said
the President.
Without making any direct attacks as has been the case in his recent
speeches, the President called on the population not to be “blindly misled”
by anybody. Liberation is about attaining required value of being Rwandan,
he said.
The President also hinted at the August 09 presidential election, urging the
population to take part massively.
RNA will detail the names of those awarded today who include a US
Congressman, Nigerian, two Italians, New Zealand, Czech Republic and a
French author.
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