ERITREAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSS BORDER DISPUTE WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000394 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2018 TAGS: ER ET PREL SUBJECT: ERITREAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSS BORDER DISPUTE WITH ETHIOPIA Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT MCCALLUM. REASON: 1.4(B and D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Eritrean Ambassador Andeab Ghebremeskel told the Ambassador on April 15 that the border situation between his country and Ethiopia is at an "impasse." Ghebremeskel complained that Ethiopia has reneged on the legal decision on the boundary demarcation made by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC). He maintained that the U.S. was in a position to force the Government of Ethiopia to accept the EEBC's demarcation decision. The Ambassador responded that Eritrea needs to cooperate with the United Nations and to avoid any provocative actions that could lead to renewed conflict. The Ambassador also urged Ghebremeskal to reengage in talks with Ethipia on this issue. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador met with Eritrean Ambassador Andeab Ghebremeskel at Ghebremeskal's request on April 15. Ghenbremeskal reviewed the history of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border dispute and said that the situation is now at an impasse because of what he termed Ethiopia's intransigence. Ghebremeskel complained that Ethiopia had reneged on the legal decision on using map demarcations made by the EEBC. Addis Ababa was now defying international law and opinion, Ghebremeskal said. Ethiopia is also plotting a "regime change" against Eritrea, he claimed. ¶3. (C) Ghebremeskal maintained that the U.S. has a special relationship with Ethiopia, especially in light of their "alliance" in the war on terror. Eritrea had hoped that the U.S. would push Addis Ababa to agree to the EEBC's "virtual" border demarcation. Ghebremeskal said that the U.S. has not deployed its influence and Ethiopia was not backing down from its insistence on a ground-marked boundary demarcation. Ghebremeskal thanked the Ambassador for the meeting and asked again that the U.S. push Ethiopia to agree with the EEBC's decision. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador told Ghebremeskal that Eritrea must engage and cooperate with the United Nations. Eritrea (as well as Ethiopia) must also refrain from taking any provocative actions that would reignite a costly conflict between the two countries. The Ambassador also stressed that both Eritrea and Ethiopia need to renew talks to end the current impasse. He told Ghebremeskal that he would relay his points to the Department.