Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ADDISABABA3012
2006-11-14 17:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:  

ETHIOPIA: FM SEYOUM ASKS WITNESSES TO STOP EEBC

Tags:  PREL KPKO MOPS UNSC ET ER 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 003012 

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AF FOR A/S FRAZER AND DAS YAMAMOTO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS UNSC ET ER
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: FM SEYOUM ASKS WITNESSES TO STOP EEBC
DEMARCATION PLANS OR RISK WAR


Classified By: Charge Vicki Huddleston for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 003012

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AF FOR A/S FRAZER AND DAS YAMAMOTO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: PREL KPKO MOPS UNSC ET ER
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: FM SEYOUM ASKS WITNESSES TO STOP EEBC
DEMARCATION PLANS OR RISK WAR


Classified By: Charge Vicki Huddleston for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: GOE Foreign Minister Seyoum summoned
representatives from the permanent five members (P-5) of the
UN Security Council and Witnesses to the Algiers Accords to a
meeting Nov. 14 to denounce the plans of the
Eritrean-Ethiopian Boundary Commission (EEBC) to complete
demarcation the border from a distance using coordinates,
rather than through on-the-ground field work and
consultations. Seyoum charged that the EEBC's proposed
action would be "illegal" and inconsistent with the body's
mandate under the Algiers accords, as well as inconsistent
with the approach advanced by the Witnesses since their
February 2006 statement. The Minister criticized the
Commission's written request to the UNSC to assist in the
transfer of territory according to the new demarcation, and
warned that taking this step would risk the resumption of
hostilities that that Algiers Accords were meant to prevent.
Unless the EEBC desisted from its planned course, Seyoum
said, the Algiers Accords would be finished. He urged that
ambassadors engage their capitals to put pressure on the EEBC
to back down from its decision to demarcate. Chiefs of
Mission from the UK, France and the US (Charge) told Seyoum
that the GOE should send a representative to the Nov. 20
meeting called by the EEBC to seek to dialogue concerning the
demarcation plan. Seyoum flatly rejected the suggestion, but
promised that the GOE would continue to exercise maximum
restraint in order to avoid armed conflict. He underscored
that Eritrean troops were now manning the same trenches they
had occupied during the war and in some places were a mere
100 meters from the Ethiopian border, nullifying the
temporary security zone (TSZ). Following the meeting with
the Foreign Minister, representatives from P-5 countries
huddled briefly and agreed to recommend a postponement of the
Nov. 20 EEBC meeting. Post believes that allowing the EEBC
to proceed will pour gasoline on the already burning conflict

in the Horn. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Foreign Minister Seyoum summoned representatives
from the permanent five members (P-5) of the security council
and Witnesses to the Algiers Accords to a meeting to denounce
the plans of the Eritrean-Ethiopian Boundary Commission
(EEBC) to complete demarcation the border from a distance
using coordinates, rather than through on-the-ground field
work and consultations. In attendance were Charge and
ambassadors from the UK, France, Russia, China, Finland (EU
Presidency) and Algeria. Also present were UNMEE SRSG
Ennifar and AU Peace and Security Officer Geoffrey Mgumbya.
Seyoum was joined by several legal experts and other aides.
Pol/Econ Counselor served as notetaker.

-------------- --------------
Like Colonial Powers Drawing Straight Lines Across Africa
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Seyoum began the meeting by distributing the GOE's
Nov. 13 reply to the EEBC letter of Nov. 7. Seyoum read the
portion from the Nov. 7 that notified parties to the Algiers
Accords of the EEBC's intention to "complete the demarcation
process by the use of coordinates to establish fixed points
on the boundary to be connected to each other by appropriate
straight lines and river lines." The Foreign Minister
expressed the GOE's "dismay and serious concern" about the
EEBC's plans. He argued that the new approach contradicted
the EEBC's own rules and procedures, ignoring the importance
of field work to address anomalies and impracticalities on
the ground. He noted that the EEBC apparently felt
frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the parties and
had therefore decided to "go into its laboratory" to concoct
a solution. Seyoum compared the exercise to African colonial
powers sitting around a conference table drawing straight
lines in defiance of human geography.

-------------- --------------
Eritrean Troops Back in the Trenches, 100 Meters Away
-------------- --------------


4. (SBU) The EEBC's planned approach to demarcation was not
just a legal issue, Seyoum told the group. It ran the risk
of pushing the parties into a situation that the
international community had worked hard to prevent. The most

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disturbing aspect of this development was the timing, he
added. Eritrea had recently breached the cessation of
hostilities agreement of 2000 by deploying regular troops --
not militia -- in the same trenches they had occupied during
the war, 100 meters from the Ethiopian border and clearly in
violation of the TSZ. Eritrean forces were occupying such
trenches in both the Central Sector of the border near
Tserona and in several places in the Western Sector, near

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both Badme and Humera. Seyoum noted that several key bridges
had been closed to UNMEE and other users, with opposing
forces at either end of the bridge. He concluded that "the
25 kilometer TSZ no longer exists."

--------------
Eritrea Defying the UNSC and Witnesses
--------------


5. (SBU) Seyoum recalled that a series of Eritrean measures
were now preventing UNMEE from fulfilling its mandate under
the Algiers Accords. He said that the GOE had asked the UNSC
and Witnesses to the Accords to act to address this
situation, including under UN Chapter Seven if necessary.
They had not, and the situation was deteriorating, the
Foreign Minister said. He also argued that the EEBC's new
approach was in fact rewarding Eritrea for its actions and
flew in the face of the Witnesses' statement of February
2006, which had underscored the need for dialogue and
consultation on the implementation of demarcation. He
expressed skepticism that the EEBC did not know what was
happening on the ground, or that it did not understand the
implications of its actions. Seyoum also pointed to the
EEBC's request to the UNSC to assist in the transfer of
territory following the final demarcation decision. He urged
P-5 and Witness reps to convey to their capitals that "the
EEBC is leading us to a nightmare," and seek help in
reversing the EEBC plan.


6. (SBU) UNMEE head Ennifar told Seyoum that UNMEE had
expressed to the EEBC its concern about the risks posed by
the new approach to demarcation, but noted that it seemed the
Nov. 20 meeting would go ahead regardless of whether the
Parties attended it or not. He noted that the UNSC would
meet at the end of November to consider a report from the
Secretary General on the reaction of the parties to res. 1710

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as well as the future of UNMEE's mandate. Ennifar noted that
currently UNMEE was unable to fulfill its mandate, so there
might be no reason to keep it.

-------------- --------------
GOE Won't Attend EEBC Meeting, But Will Exercise Restraint
-------------- --------------


7. (SBU) Seyoum said the GOE's cabinet saw no value in
attending the Nov. 20 EEBC meeting. He declared that if the
EEBC insisted on the proceeding with its plans for Nov. 20,
that would be the day it lost its mandate. Ethiopia would no
longer be bound by the Algiers Accords if the UN and other
Witnesses failed to act on their responsibilities under the
Agreements. Ethiopia had so far refrained from declaring the
Accords null and void in order to act responsibly. The
Foreign Minister acknowledged that the situation was very
challenging (for diplomats),but noted that the situation on
the ground was even more challenging. "There may not be much
time for debate around conference tables," since the Eritrean
Government had been saying that it had the right to invade to
claim the territory it had been awarded.


8. (SBU) The Charge made the case that the GOE should attend
the Nov. 20 meeting in order to press for negotiations on the
implementation of the EEBC decision. She cited the example
of Cameroon, where demarcation had been accomplished through
the use of coordinates but had been implemented through
dialogue. UK Ambassador Bob Dewar supported the Charge's
position and also urged that the GOE not act hastily in
renouncing the Algiers Accords, which had kept the peace.
French Ambassador Stephane Gompertz also argued for GOE
attendance at the Nov. 20 meeting. He cited the needed for
the parties and Witnesses to consult on legal and political
issues related to the EEBC's proposed approach, and raised in
particular the issue of whether the EEBC's use of modern,
detailed maps for plotting coordinates would be consistent

ADDIS ABAB 00003012 003 OF 003


with the Algiers Accords.


9. (SBU) Seyoum acknowledged the sincerity of the
ambassadors' efforts to promote dialogue, but said that the
purpose of the EEBC meeting would be to "bury" the earlier
approach of the Witnesses to demarcation, which had been
based on cooperation and dialogue facilitated by the EEBC.
He reiterated that the GOE's legal experts believe that the
"pillars" of the Algiers Accords had been destroyed some time
ago, but the GOE had refrained from denouncing the
Agreements. But if the EEBC insisted on its current plans,
Seyoum said, that would be the end of Algiers. He noted that
even the EEBC has said it will have concluded its work. At
the same time, the Foreign Minister promised that the GOE
would continue to exercise military restraint. It could
ignore minor provocation, and would in fact be "more careful
and responsible than ever before," but would have to go to
war in self defense if attacked. The Minister also
emphasized the GOE's continuing support for maintaining
UNMEE's mandate as a peacekeeping mission intact, rather than
reconfiguring it as an observer mission. He called UNMEE's
presence "useful and essential."

--------------
Comment: Postpone EEBC Action
--------------


10. (C) Following the meeting with the Foreign Minister,
representatives from P-5 countries huddled briefly and agreed
to recommend a postponement of the Nov. 20 EEBC meeting to
their capitals. French Ambassador Gompertz suggested the
need for legal analysis and consultations could provide the
necessary justification for doing so. Post believes that an
even more important justification for doing so is that the
EEBC decision will pour gasoline on the fire of conflict
already burning in the Horn. With Ethiopia preparing for
military engagement with Eritrean-backed forces of the
Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) in Somalia, the EEBC action
could increase the likelihood of another conflict on the
primary battle front between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The GOE
will not be willing to transfer territory awarded to Eritrea
under these circumstances and will respond militarily if
Eritrea seeks to seize the land by force.
HUDDLESTON