Eritrean-Americans in Washington, DC and surrounding
states Condemn Ethiopia's rejection of the EEBC Delimitation Decision
By Ghidewon Abay Asmerom
October 12, 2003
Eritrean-Americans in Washington, DC and surrounding states Condemn Ethiopia's
rejection of the EEBC Delimitation Decision and Call upon the United States
Congress to pass HR 2760.
The following is an English version of the five-point resolution that was unanimously
passed by over a thousand Eritreans and Eritrean Americans that attended the
town hall meeting with Ambassador Ghirma Asmerom on Sunday, October 12, 2003
in Washington, DC.
We Eritrean-Americans residing in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area and vicinity
in our meeting of October 12, 2003, after being briefed on the general state
of affairs in Eritrea but particularly on the current status of the demarcation
of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border by H. E. Ambassador Ghirma Asmerom, and after
holding an extensive discussion of the issues have unanimously passed the following
resolutions:
1. Supporting the Government of Eritrea’s patient and careful handling of
the peace process so that the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary could be demarcated
expeditiously on the basis of the Boundary Commission's delimitation Decision,
we strongly condemn Ethiopia's decision to reject the Eritrea/Ethiopia Boundary
Commission's April 2002 Decision and with that the December 2000 Algiers Agreement.
We see this irresponsible Ethiopian act as anti-peace and a design that will
destabilize the whole Horn of Africa.
2. Urging vigilance and preparation for any eventuality that might come
our way due to Ethiopia's reckless and irresponsible intention of going to war
in order to get what it couldn't get legally, we declare our unwavering support
to the Eritrean Government and its Defense Forces as they continue to ensure
Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
3. Recognizing the dangerous precedent Ethiopia's violation of the Boundary
Commission's Decision, Security Council resolutions and its Algiers treaty obligations
can set in all boundary disputes but more ominously in Africa, we call upon
the international community but particularly the guarantors of the Algiers Agreement
(the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the African Union)
to unequivocally and explicitly remind Ethiopia to abide by the Algiers Agreement
and to implement, without further delay, the final and binding delimitation
Decision of the independent Eritrea/Ethiopia Boundary Commission.
4. Calling upon the United States Congress to pass HR 2760, “The Resolution
of the Ethiopian-Eritrean Border Dispute Act of 2003” we pledge to do our utmost
to inform our local representatives, senators, as well as friends and all peace-loving
people to have a clear understanding of the truth vis-à-vis Ethiopia's violation
of the Algiers Agreement and its continued refusal to implement the Boundary
Commission's delimitation Decision.
5. Accepting the fact that securing Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity is of highest priority, parallel to this we believe healing war scars
and putting Eritrea on a secure development path is of an equal urgency. To
this effect we pledge to do all what we can and to work wholeheartedly to make
sure the Government of Eritrea’s “Warsai-Yikalo” development plan that is already
underway and making tremendous progress, thanks to the coordinated effort of
the Eritrean people and its Defense Forces, succeeds. Particularly we promise
to contribute to the fund that has been established to alleviate the economic
burden of family members of Eritrea heroes who fell defending the country.
October 12, 2003
Washington, DC