The Washington Media and Information Task Force, Monday, March 22, 1999– Peace Rally is Part of Worldwide Effort to End Africa's New "Killing Field":
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Eritrean American community in the Washington metropolitan area has called for a march for Friday, March 26, 1999, to appeal for peace in the peace-starved Horn of Africa, which has once again become the continent’s main "killing field."
The march, which will start at 11 a.m. in front of the White House, will be part of a worldwide effort to call upon the international community—especially the United States, the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity—to help bring about an end to the senseless slaughter which now seems to characterize the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The peace rally is expected to draw tens of thousands world wide. In addition to more than a dozen U.S. cities, similar demonstrations will be held in South Africa, Canada, as well as several European and Australian cities. Among the key demands of the marchers will be an immediate cease-fire and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The ten-month conflict between the two sisterly and once-friendly neighbors has shown how destructive a modern war can be. During three days of fighting last week alone, more than 10,000 Ethiopian soldiers were killed—victims of an inhuman and criminal military strategy of the minority regime of Ethiopia which has been using them as cannon fodder in "human waves" on fixed Eritrean positions without regard to human cost.. If not stopped soon, the war threatens to be one of the most devastating conflicts in the history of the continent.
In addition to the unprecedented degree of human cost, the Eritrean-Ethiopian border conflict also threatens to further destabilize a region already shaken by the disintegration of Somalia, as well as the turmoil in the Sudan.
A spokesman for the organizers said the marchers will plead with the United States, the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity to pressure Ethiopia to choose peace rather than war so that the senseless slaughter can end and the two countries can resume their struggles against poverty, ignorance, and disease.
Right from the start of the conflict, the Ethiopian regime has been on the war path. Early last month, it violated a U.S.-brokered airstrike moratorium and reignited the fighting after an eight-month lull. Furthermore, it is now trying to torpedo the Organization of African Unity peace plan that it had previously accepted by adding new preconditions to a peaceful resolution as a pretext to continue the war. This backtracking by Ethiopia coupled with its outright rejection of the recently issued United Nations Security Council call for an immediate cease-fire by both sides is now recognized by diplomats and world leaders as the major obstacle to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The current Ethiopian regime launched—also right from the very start—a policy of extreme ethnic provocation in the form of a massive ethnic cleansing. So far, they have deported more than 54,000 Ethiopians of Eritrean origin and Eritreans that were residing legally in Ethiopia, and has nearly 1500 languishing in concentration camps in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
The Washington Media
and Information Task Force
600 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Contact: Tel.: 202-408-6995; Fax: 202-408-6997
badme@egroups.com
Citizens for Peace and Development of Eritrea (CDPE) Press Release,
Toronto, Canada, March 24, 1999–
WHO WE ARE & WHY WE’RE DEMONSTRATING
Eritreans living in Europe, North America,
Australia, Eritrea and other parts of Africa will march for peace to bring to the
attention of the international community the bloody war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, two
neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa.
WHY IS THERE A WAR?
Supposedly because of a border dispute. Ethiopia has unilaterally redrawn its
international border with Eritrea producing a 1997 map incorporating large chunks of
Eritrea’s land. A Joint Border Commission failed to solve the dispute In May 1998,
war erupted turning the Horn of Africa into Africa’s New Killing Fields. After more
than nine months of international efforts to broker a cessation of hostilities, Ethiopia
continues
to refuse a cease-fire Eritrea has repeatedly and consistently called for a
cease-fire Eritrea strongly believes that force cannot solve the border dispute. It has
now become clear that land-locked Ethiopia wants to remove the sovereign Government of
Eritrea by force and have access to the Red Sea.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR SO FAR?
Tens of thousands have been killed in senseless “human wave” attacks on Eritrean defensive positions, turning the Eritrean-Ethiopian border into AFRICA’S NEW KILLING FIELDS Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, including children and elders Ethiopia has deported more than 54,000 Ethiopians of Eritrean origin and Eritrean residents who lived for decades in Ethiopia More than 1,500 Eritrean youth are languishing in Ethiopian concentration camps, reminiscent of World War II internment camps Ethiopia’s indiscriminate bombing of Eritrean villages/towns has caused huge loss of life and property Ethiopia continues to use close to 200 Russian and East European mercenaries
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) has come up with an 11-point Framework Agreement that will enable both parties to demarcate their border. Eritrea accepted the OAU Plan and has formed a high-level government body to start implementation of the Agreement. Ethiopia, after accepting the OAU Plan, is now coming with new preconditions and is refusing to cease-fire. The United Nations, European UNION and Canada have endorsed the OAU Plan. Ethiopia must cease-fire for the OAU Plan to be implemented.
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
A) Sign our petition cards
B) Contact your Member of Parliament and urge him or her to ask Canada put pressure on
Ethiopia to:
1. Cease-fire immediately and give peace a chance
2. Implement the OAU plan without injecting any new preconditions.
3. Commit itself to the demilitarization of the disputed areas within the context of the
OAU peace plan.
4. Agree to the demarcation of the entire Eritrean-Ethiopian border based on the OAU’
s principle of the sanctity of already established colonial borders.
5. Desist from engaging in illegal acts that violate Eritrea’s territorial integrity
and sovereignty 6. Stop using mercenaries to kill and maim innocent Eritrean civilians
7. Stop the gross human rights violation of Ethiopians of Eritrean descent and Eritrean
residents
For further info, also visit these sites:
http://www.eritrea.org/peace/
http://www.visafric.com/news.htm
http://news.asmarino.com
http://www.dehai.org
Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 18, 1999 – Washington, D.C – "Ethiopia on Friday [killed] a dozen civilians in shelling attacks on villages near the disputed town of Zalambessa. There were around 12 civilians killed in the surrounding villages and around 30 homes destroyed."-- Alexander Last, Reuters, Feb 12, 1999.
Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 19, 1999 – Washington, D.C – From the outset of the Eritrea-Ethiopia conflict, Ethiopia has been constantly and consistently threatening to go to war if it did not have its way. Ethiopian officials have been open about their desire to solve the conflict by force. Here is a sample:
Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 19, 1999 – Washington, D.C – FICTION: "The areas [Badme and surrounding] had never been part of the territory under an Eritrean Jurisdiction during the Italian colonial period, during the British administration or during the time of the armed struggle, not even for an hour." Ethiopian Foreign Ministry Statement, August 12, 1998.
- Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 19, 1999 – Washington, D.C – Ethiopia: "The Council of Ministers of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia government asked the Eritrean government I to desist from this provocative act and to pull out of the Ethiopian territory without any precondition. I If this is not complied with, then every action possible to safeguard the sovereignty of our country shall be taken, they sternly warned. " BBC, "Ethiopia urges Eritrea to pull out of "disputed" territory", Friday May 15, 1998.
Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 19, 1999 – Washington, D.C – FICTION: "Eritreans have stoned POWs and paraded them in the public." • FACT 1: "We have said these were our comrades in arms. We have fought together with them for so many years.
Eritrean Media and Information Task Force Feb 19, 1999 – Washington, D.C – FICTION: "President Isaias also perpetuated the myth that the EPLF was responsible for winning the war in 1991 - that the EPLF beat 'Ethiopia' single handed.