Photo: Jorge Aramburu/UN Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's newly elected prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, on Wednesday affirmed that he is willing to hold direct talks with Eritrea on the long-standing dead-lock over border dispute.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera Desalegn said he is willing to hold face-to-face talks with Eritrean president, Isaias Afwerki, in the Eritrean capital.
"If you ask me, 'Do you want to go to Asmara and sit down and negotiate with Isaias Afeworki?' Then, I will say 'yes'", Hailemariam said, raising hopes of new peace talks between the two East African nations.
Last month South Sudan said that would work to mediate between Ethiopia and Eritrea over their border row.
South Sudan's minister for cabinet affairs, Deng Alor, then said that both Addis Ababa and Asmara have given the green light to come for peace talks and the negotiation talks could start as of November.
When asked if the new approach towards Eritrea was something that came under the new post-Zenawi leadership, Desalegn stated that the decision to deal with Asmara was in line with the policy laid out by the late Zenawi.
"My predecessor Meles Zenawi had asked for more than 50 times even to go to Asmara and negotiate with Mister Isaias Afwerki," he said.
Desalegn, who assumed power shortly after longtime ruler Meles Zenawi died in August, is seen as a more moderate figure and if he managed to hold talks with the Eritrean leader then he will be the first Ethiopian leader to hold direct talks with Afeworki since the two countries ended their border war in 2000.
Desalegn further said that his government's top priority is to fight poverty, to have regional integration and, "if we two [Ethiopian and Eritrea] do that, it will be much more productive."
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, after a 30-year rebellion. They fought a border war between 2000 and 2002 that killed over 70,000 people.
Earlier this year, tensions between the two neighbours escalated, mounting fears of renewed conflict, after the Ethiopian army carried out cross-border attacks on military camps inside Eritrea. This was in response to the killing and abduction of foreign tourists in January 2012 in Ethiopia's remote Afar region by rebels allegedly backed by Eritrea.
The cross-border attacks by Ethiopian troops was Addis Ababa's first and official military incursion since the two East African nations ended the bitter war in 2000 over the disputed town of Badme, which had been attributed to Eritrea by a UN border committee.
However, the flashpoint remains under the control of Ethiopia, which seeks further negotiations.
Ethiopia and Eritrea frequently trade accusations of backing one an others rebel groups to destabilise one the other.
Comments Post a comment
As a peace loving citizen, I appreciate the effort of resolving differences on round table. However, our idiot neighbour's bullying nature does not allow peace to prevail in the area. Ethiopians are always kind and peace loving, but the idiots from Eritrea will never understand love. They always understand force, like a teenager they can not think beyound they nose tip. I wish good luck to the initiative and effort of my PM. Though I am very much in doubt that the bunch of idiots in Asmera can really understand the message of peace.
for Zelalemawi.. Rather i would remain on the first statement: hopefully their talks would bring to the poor horn of africa a long peace which deserved after half century of desaster and famin..be positive
for zelalemawi: Kristian tesfa aykortem enna ayzoh..be positive for peace
I live in Eritrea, and I assure you we are peace loving people. And I really hope that both of our administrations reach an agreement. We are watching that our border countries are prospering, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Somalia seems having a stable government, and yes Ethiopia is a big market that Eritrea can benefit of. So if the region works together our Region will be prosperous. Yes for SURE President Isaias Afwerki has a thinking problem, but I think he now learns his lesson hard way.