On 23 December 2009, after the Security Council adopted Resolution 1907 (2009) that imposed sanctions on the State of Eritrea and its people, Susan E. Rice, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, insulting the intelligence of the Eritrean people and showing her contempt for Africans in general and Eritreans in particular, made the following comments to the press:
“…I want to talk about the resolution we just adopted imposing sanctions on Eritrea. This was an African initiative. It was the consequence of a decision taken by the African Union… From the United States’ point of view, let me say that we have for many, many months sought a constructive dialogue with the government of Eritrea. We have sought to encourage quietly the government of Eritrea to take the steps that it claims it intends to take, but it will not take, and has not taken. And we still hope frankly that they will. We do not see this as the door closing on Eritrea, but on the contrary, we view this as another opportunity for Eritrea to play a more responsible and constructive role in the region. We did not come to this decision with any joy – or with anything other than a desire to support the stability of peace in the region…”
Within a few days since the adoption of the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions resolution 1907 (2009), it had become abundantly clear that it was NOT an “African Initiative”, that Africans had absolutely nothing to do with it. The 28-member Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) issued a press release condemning the sanctions resolution against Eritrea. Despite its lengthy and righteous wording, Security Council Resolution 1907 reeked of deceit, deception and corruption. That was not all; that Susan E. Rice and Meles Zenawi, the leader of the minority regime in Ethiopia and its cadres had everything to do with it was certain from the get go.
As for Eritrea, it remains the only country that is playing a “responsible and constructive role in the region”. If participating in the indiscriminate bombings of innocent civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructures such as schools, hospitals, markets etc. and committing international crimes against the Somali people is what it takes to be a card carrying member of the genocidal club…Eritrea will gladly pass!
Speaking of passes…Emboldened by the “help and encouragement” it received from its handlers at the UN, the minority regime in Ethiopia is back…seeking to get more. Today Meles Zenawi is calling for the total and complete strangulation of the Eritrean economy and sanctions against the Eritrean Diaspora. The ignominious minority regime’s cadres have chosen Gabon and Nigeria to do their bidding, to co-sponsor a Security Council resolution that Meles Zenawi and his handlers authored…supposedly, to give it an “African face”…again.
Why is it okay for Africans to sponsor an illegal, unfair and unjust resolution against a member state? If the Security Council has sufficient grounds for adopting punitive sanctions against the people of Eritrea, why would they need to give it an “African face”?How does Susan E. Rice, who I believe is of African decent, fit into this color-coded racist process?Crimes committed against the people of Eritrea by the minority regime in Ethiopia are ugly, but things get even uglier when the UN becomes a party to those crimes. Pitting Africans against each other, in my humble opinion, is tantamount to “black on black” crime, and it should not have any place at the United Nations. Illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions are wrong, no matter who sponsors it.
In this sitting, I want to revisit resolution 1907 (2009), its origins and its hand-picked African “sponsors”.
The Wikileaks cables illustrate the collusion and undiplomatic efforts against the State of Eritrea, its government and people. Ethiopia’s agenda vis a vis the people of Eritrea was accomplished, as the chronology of events presented will show, with full diplomatic shield and support from the US State Department and US officials at the United Nations. The concerted and willful efforts of US Ambassadors in the region, hostile US officials at the United Nations, as well as those at the US State Department to “punish” Eritrea for defending its sovereign rights will serve as a lesson to Africans, and especially States in the Horn region, who participated in the shameful economic and political lynching of a neighboring state and its people. So let us go back to the beginning…
1. US Ambassador Susan E. Rice visits Ethiopia-May 2009
Members of the UN Security Council visited Ethiopia in May 2009. During their stay, they had discussions with Meles Zenawi and Eritrea was his main subject. In addition to the members of the Security Council, Susan E. Rice met privately with Meles Zenawi for about six-hours on 16 May 20009. According to the Wikileaks cable, “PRIME MINISTER MELES ON REGIONAL CHALLENGES:
“…Prime Minister Meles underscored to USUN Ambassador Rice during a six-hour meeting that the most deadly phases of border conflict with Eritrea may have been avoided. The outbreak of hostilities in 1998 between Eritrea and Ethiopia was never about the border dispute in Badme and Zelambessa It was about economic and political differences…”
“…Meles noted that after conflict broke out and the cessation of hostilities agreement was negotiated, a 26 mile buffer zone located in the Eritrean side was advocated by hard-liners on the Ethiopian side only as a means to humiliate Isaias…”
“…Meles suggested the Isaias’ calculations would be shattered, if the U.S. and others imposed financial sanctions on him and particularly cut off Isaias’ funding from Qatar and other countries and the important funding from the Diaspora in the U.S. Isaias still imposes a mandatory 2 percent of salary tax on all Eritreans living overseas. Non payment results in family members in Eritrea being denied food ration cards…”
One would have expected Susan E. Rice to condemn Meles Zenawi and his cadres for escalating a small border conflict into a full blown war in which thousands of Ethiopians were used as cannon fodder and minesweepers in the regime’s war of aggression and invasion against Eritrea. As the chief mediator during the Eritrea Ethiopia border conflict and architect behind the Algiers Agreements signed between the two countries, one would have expected her to enforce the rule of law and urge Meles Zenawi to abide by his treaty obligations…she didn’t.
The rehearsed script on the “2% tax” seems to be the staple at all discussions about Eritrea and its people. During the Eritrea Ethiopia border conflict in 1998-2000, Susan E. Rice had similar discussions with Meles Zenawi. It should be noted here that neither the Security Council, nor Susan E. Rice, or any US officials bothered to visit Eritrea, or meet with Eritrean officials, to get Eritrea’s version.
2. IGAD Meeting -20 May 2009
It should be mentioned here that Ethiopia has held the Presidency of IGAD for over 5 years. Like Ethiopia, where all prominent positions in the Government of Ethiopia are headed by card carrying members of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), well placed TPLF cadres occupy prominent positions in IGAD.
- Meles Zenawi serves as the Chairman of IGAD and also the head of TPLF and the leader of the minority regime ruling Ethiopia today.
- Lissane Yohannes, serves as IGAD’s Special Envoy to the Assessment and Evaluation Commission is a longtime card carrying member of the TPLF regime.
- Berhane Gebre Kristos, TPLF Central Committee member and former Ambassador to the USA and currently serving as Ethiopia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs and chairs IGAD meetings when Meles Zenawi is not.
- Nasinet Menghistu, is a member of IGAD’s Somalia Peace and National Reconciliation Committee
- General Gebre Adhana, Commander in Chief of Ethiopian forces that invaded and occupied Somalia in 2006 is a card carrying member of the TPLF and serves on IGAD’s Somalia Peace and Reconciliation Committee. Case of the fox watching the chicken coop…
Within days of Susan E. Rice’s visit to Ethiopia and her meeting with Ethiopian officials including Meles Zenawi, an emergency meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was convened. The 21 May 2009 Communiqué released after the meeting said:
“…The 33rd Extra-ordinary Meeting (Extra-ordinary No. 1) of the IGAD Council of Ministers was convened at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 20th May 2009 to discuss the developments in Somalia…The Council was chaired by H.E. Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the current Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers…”
In 2007 Eritrea suspended its membership from IGAD in protest of Ethiopia’s invasion and occupation of Somalia in violation of IGAD’s own resolution on Somalia and UN Security Council Resolutions 1724, 1725 and 1744. According to the Communiqué:
“…The meeting was attended by H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Djibouti; H.E. Moses Wetangula, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Sherif Hassan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia; H.E. Elsamani Elwasila, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan, H.E. Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda…”
In that meeting, Eritrea was falsely accused by Ethiopia of “calling for the overthrow of the TFG and attacks on AMISOM”. It was also at that meeting that the call for the UN Security Council to “impose sanctions on the Government of Eritrea without any further delay” was made, with Ethiopia presenting the unsubstantiated allegations against Eritrea.
Eritrea has never called for the overthrow of the TFG, as it cannot call for the overthrow of an entity it does not recognize. What Eritrea has consistently called for is non-intervention in Somali’s internal affairs. Eritrea firmly believes that the solution to Somalia’s problems cannot be resolved militarily.
3. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union Meeting-22 May 2009
Within days of Susan E. Rice’s departure from Ethiopia, on 22 May 2009, Meles Zenawi for this part, called a meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. According to the AU Communiqué:
“…The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 190th meeting held on 22 May 2009, considered the situation in Somalia in light of the outcome of the 33rd Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the security and political situation in Somalia, held in Addis Ababa on 20 May 2009….
It called on the United Nations Security Council to:
“… impose sanctions against all those foreign actors, both within and outside the region, specially Eritrea, providing support to the armed groups engaged in destabilization activities in Somalia, attacks against the TFG, the civilian population and AMISOM, as well as against all the Somali individuals and entities working towards undermining the peace and reconciliation efforts and regional stability…”
In violation of the African Union’s own rules which clearly state that:
“….Any Member of the Peace and Security Council which is party to a conflict or a situation under consideration by the Peace and Security Council shall not participate either in the discussion or in the decision making process relating to that conflict or situation. Such Member shall be invited to present its case to the Peace and Security Council as appropriate, and shall, thereafter, withdraw from the proceedings…”
Eritrea, the accused, was not present at that meeting and Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, (the accusers, judge and jury) who are parties to the conflict in Somalia participated in the meetings and pushed the resolutions against Eritrea, the one nation that has no bone in this ugly fight. These illegal meetings and decisions were orchestrated by Ethiopia, which served as the Chair of the Peace and Security Council at the time.
4. Ethiopian officials meet with P-5 Ambassadors-18 June 2009
The Wikileaks cable, “Ethiopia Pressing for UNSC Sanctions on Eritrea”, provides information on an 18 June 2009 meeting held with P-5 Ambassadors. According to the cable the Ethiopian cadre told the P-5 Ambassadors about his globe trotting adventures to garner support for sanctions against Eritrea. He also told them of his trip to the UN Security Council. Here is an excerpt from that cable:
“…For the UN to be in support of the IGAD, Tekeda recommended that the UNSC focus on enforcing and reaffirming UNSCR 1844 on Eritrea’s destabilizing activities in Somalia, and to call for specific sanctions against Eritrea. When asked about other countries involved in Somalia, Tekeda immediately stated that is clearly Eritrea that is the main culprit and should be the focus of sanctions. Of course, there are other countries and groups, but UNSC action would be more effective if focused on Eritrea…”
Why is an Ethiopian official dictating Council action? Was Eritrea given the same opportunity? Obviously not…
According to the Wikileaks cable authored by Donald Yamamoto:
“…Tekeda said cutting off the flow of money to Eritrea was essential. Particularly, remittances from the U.S. was a major source of funding for Eritrea, which used such funds for arms procurement and support for extremist elements. Having the UNSC firmly in support of the African Union and IGAD in condemning Eritrea would help the Eritrean community in the U.S. to justify diaspora non-payment of taxes (2 percent of salary) to the Eritrean government. Currently, those who do not pay, Tekeda asserted, face imprisonment upon return, and imprisonment of family members living in Eritrea…”
The Eritrean Diaspora is perfectly capable of speaking for itself and do not need the Tigrayan cadre to speak on its behalf. There is not a single Eritrean, or relatives of Eritreans that have faced “imprisonment” for non-payment. That is a blatant lie and yet the Tigrayan cadre is allowed to get away with it. Whilst the TPLF cadre’s blatant lies about Eritrea and its people come as no surprise, the impartiality of the P-5 Ambassadors sure needs questioning. The US Ambassador doesn’t even question the veracity of Ethiopia’s ridiculous and self serving accusation against Eritrea.
Donald Yamamoto, US Ambassador to Ethiopia, in fact weighed in with his support for Ethiopia with the following comment:
“…Ethiopia, as chair of IGAD, has been effective in condemning Eritrean destabilizing activities in Somalia. But the African Union has also supported IGAD in criticizing Eritrean occupation of Djiboutian territory, and activities in Somalia. A unified AU position will help Ethiopia’s case… IGAD/AU actions may prove more effective if presented in the context of supporting and strengthening the TFG and ending the violence in Somalia…”
Was Yamamoto advancing “Ethiopia’s case” or US interests?
5. Ethiopian official meets with P-5 Ambassadors-July 2009
According to the Wikileaks cable, “Ethiopia Urges UNSC Approval of African Union Call for Sanctions against Eritrea”, Ethiopian Minister for Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin and State Minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu met with P-5 Ambassadors on 7 July 2009 to:
“…Ethiopian FM Seyoum and his deputy, Dr. Tekeda, on July 7 called in the Ambassadors from the P-5 to urge them to convey to their capitals the urgency of supporting sanctions against Eritrea. Seyoum noted that Tekeda, who led an Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD) delegation to New York in June, was told by the UNSC that the IGAD resolution calling for sanctions on Eritrea would hold more weight if the African Union was also supportive because IGAD only represented East Africa, and some of its members had differences with Eritrea. Seyoum said the African Union at its early July summit in Sirte, Libya passed a resolution, with Eritrea as the only dissenting voice, in support of the IGAD resolution…”
Even though Ethiopia was advised by some at the UN about IGAD being representative of just a few nations in the Horn of Africa, it recently tried to introduce a resolution sponsored by Gabon and Nigeria, without the approval of all the members of the African Union. As for the AU Summit in Libya, there is a lot to be said about the process, but suffice it to mention that it was not a resolution that was knowingly and consciously approved by all African states. According to a 15 July 2009 cable from Tripoli that described the activities in Libya during the Summit:
“…Other business, including a resolution calling on the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Eritrea for its support of al-Shabaab, was reportedly shepherded by the AU Commission and not/not the Libyan hosts…”
There was no discussion of sanctions against Eritrea amongst the Heads of States gathered and no votes were taken to show that all of Africa wanted Eritrea sanctioned. The media hype and the statements made by US and Ethiopian officials were taken for fact and presented to the UN Security Council for fact.
6. Meles Zenawi meets with Johnnie Carson-6 July 2009
In his three hour meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Meles Zenawi called for support for the ill-gotten “IGAD and AU Resolutions” that called for sanctions against Eritrea (both meetings orchestrated by Ethiopia). According to the Wikileaks cable, “Prime Minister Meles on TFG Survival and Eritrean Attacks on Djibouti” Meles Zenawi:
“…asked the U.S. to consider two conditions which would be much easier to implement. A selective travel ban of senior Eritrean officials …. cutting off remittances from the U.S. to Eritrea …”
Again, the Ethiopian regime’s pre-occupation with the Eritrean Diaspora is very telling of its agenda…which has nothing to do with stabilizing Somalia or the region. Let us take a look at what else Meles Zenawi tells Johnnie Carson:
“…Meles cautioned A/S Carson about Eritrea’s efforts to recruit and train Afari rebels and infiltrate them into Djibouti to undermine Djiboutian authority and create instability through terrorism and military action. If Eritrea succeeds in destabilizing Djibouti, it would destabilize the region and add to Ethiopia’s insecurity along the border. With a sizable Afari population in Ethiopia, Eritrea’s activities would also directly contribute to creating potential instability within Ethiopia…”
This is the same fabricated allegation that is found in the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group’s Report of July 2011. It is also the same lie that Seyoum Mesfin told the President of Djibouti in May 2009 in order to inflame and get his support for IGAD and AU resolutions against Eritrea. The Djibouti Eritrea issue had remained “static for over a year” and Meles and his cadres wanted to re-ignite the tensions and resurrect the issue as it would serve to advance the “stand alone sanctions against Eritrea”…and they did, with US support.
7. Ambassador Susan Rice meets with Ethiopia’s Fesseha Tessema-13 August 2009
The various meetings between US Ambassador Susan Rice and Ethiopian officials’ shows how closely the two parties-US and Ethiopia- worked to get support for “sanctions against Eritrea”. It also shows Susan Rice’s personal involvement and interest and willingness to provide a gullible ear to Ethiopian cadres in pursuit of their agendas against the State of Eritrea.
The cable, “ETHIOPIAN CHARGE EAGER TO SANCTION ERITREA; AGREES TO CONSIDER NEW BORDER DISPUTE STRATEGY”, is about a conversation between Susan E. Rice and another Ethiopian cadre. In yet another attempt to strangulate Eritrea using Somalia as a pretext and the UN as a tool, the cadre sought her assistance. According to the cable:
“…In an August 13 meeting with Ambassador Rice, Ethiopian Charge d’Affairs Ambassador Fesseha Tessema said he was encouraged by the African Union’s recent call to sanction Eritrea for its support of armed opposition groups in Somalia and asked for U.S. “help and encouragement” in the creation of a new UNSC sanctions resolution…Ambassador Rice emphasized that any new sanctions resolution should be an Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) initiative led by Uganda in the Security Council. She recalled IGAD’s prior lack of consensus on a sanctions framework for Eritrea during its June visit to New York, and stated that any new resolution should reflect the common ground between Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia…In response to Ambassador Rice’s question about the position of China and Libya vis–vis sanctioning Eritrea, Tessema stated that China would not oppose the African Union’s recommendation for new sanctions…On upcoming designations by the Somalia Sanctions Committee, Tessema stated that it is not the number of people, but rather the stature of the individual that is critical in making an impression with Eritrea. He assured Ambassador Rice that Libya would not oppose the listing of Eritrean Chief of Political Affairs Yemane Gebreab…”
8. Susan E. Rice meets with Yoweri Museveni-20 September 2009
US officials at the United Nations were willing to ignore Eritrea’s right to due process and Eritrea’s sovereign rights under the UN Charter by forcing the passage of resolution 1907 (2009) in order to effectuate US policy for Eritrea… which seems to coincide with Ethiopia’s policy for Eritrea-diplomatic, economic, political isolation and regime change. With IGAD and AU resolutions in hand, the minority regime needed US “help and encouragement” and none worked harder than Susan E. Rice to accomplish that at the Security Council.
The cable, “UGANDA TO CONSIDER ERITREA SANCTIONS RESOLUTION WHICH COVERS DJIBOUTI; REMAINS COMMITTED TO AMISOM”, details a conversation Susan Rice had on 20 September 2009 Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda:
“…Rice emphasized that the U.S. strongly supports a resolution addresses the issue of Eritrea invading Djibouti. It is a matter of principle that the U.S. cannot ignore, which puts UNSC credibility at stake, and would make Eritrea feel it can continue to invade neighbors with impunity, she said. Museveni expressed concern that references to both Somalia and Djibouti in the draft UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions resolution might jeopardize its adoption chances. Rice said that she believes there is only one chance to secure a resolution, so Djibouti must be included, and noted that the international community has never effectively confronted Eritrea for invading neighboring countries on five occasions (Yemen, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia). She noted that in January, the UNSC gave Eritrea a deadline of six weeks to leave Djibouti or face sanctions…”
As a representative of the Security Council, Rice is expected to conduct Council affairs without letting her personal feelings cloud her judgment. Manipulations of issues and advancing personal vendettas have no place at the United Nations. Rice’s bias and deliberate misrepresentation of the facts reflects her personal integrity and does not reflect the truth about Eritrea. It is unfortunate that she chose to abuse the powers of her office to advance Meles Zenawi’s agendas against the people of Eritrea.
As for the six weeks deadline, the UNSC violated Eritrea’s rights which are protected under articles 33 and 95 of the UN Charter that cover resolution of territorial disputes. As there were no claims of territories in dispute, Eritrea’s refusal to escalate the issue and engage in the vitriolic saber rattling should have been commended, not punished.
But it is not just her contempt for Eritrea that has been exposed by the Wikileaks cables. In the discussions with Museveni, she provides an insight into her thinking. Here is what the cable said:
“… Rice reminded Museveni that past experience suggested that the UNSC would not block a resolution led by African members and supported by the African Union. She shared the U.S. read that, if Burkina Faso and Uganda co-sponsor this resolution, the British will support, the French will “keep their heads down” and will not block…”
And these are the people that are deciding the fate of millions in the Horn of Africa!
In that conversation with Ugandan officials, it is the Ugandan official that raises questions about the legality of the sanctions resolution against Eritrea and the addition of the Djibouti issue to “pad” the resolution against Eritrea as it was not part of the Au resolution. Here is what it said:
“… FM Kutesa noted that Uganda had no substantive concerns over including Djibouti in the resolution. His concern, he said, was that because the AU had never passed an actual resolution that included Djibouti, the Russian and Chinese delegations would have to consult with their capitals before agreeing to it. Rice advised Kutesa not to be overly cautious, and reasserted that a resolution perceived to be African-led would not fail…”
She has no qualms about hoodwinking her colleagues to get what she wanted…
During a 30 September 2009 P-3 meeting on “Eritrea sanctions” hosted by the United Kingdom, Rosalind DiCarlo, a USUN official whose anti-Eritrea sentiments are well recorded in the various Wikileak cables, “reiterated U.S. interest in considering sanctions on Eritrea” and stated that “sanctions will only be saleable in the Council if it is an African-led initiative”. What happened to verifiable evidence and due process? Is it enough just to have a black face doing the pointing?
9. Karl Wycoff meets with Meles Zenawi-November 2009
On 19 November 2009 Deputy Assistant Secretary Karl Wycoff visited Ethiopia and met with Meles Zenawi, presumably to assure him that they were all doing their part to secure the sanctions against Eritrea. Here is an excerpt from what the Wikileak cable recorded of that meeting:
“…Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles told visiting AF/DAS Wycoff and CDA on November 19 that he wanted to give the USG a “heads up” that Ethiopia was considering actively supporting armed Eritrean opposition groups if the international community fails to take action to isolate Asmara.…Wycoff agreed that Eritrea has shown no signs of changing its behavior but suggested that the broadening discussion of sanctions, including Ambassador Rice’s personal involvement at USUN, has caught the attention of Eritrean President Isaias. Wycoff added that the USG has worked to undercut support for Eritrea, including his own visits to Gulf countries to enlist their support in such activities…”
Wycoff, like all the other officials at the incompetent Bureau of African Affairs, participated in the orchestrated campaign to “isolate” Eritrea. From demarches to orders to “dis-invite” Eritrea from regional meetings, to preventing Eritrea’s voice from being heard at international forums, the Wikileaks cables expose the ugly and shameful actions of US officials and their attempts to cripple Eritrea diplomatically, financially, politically and militarily, while propping up the lawless regime in Ethiopia.
10. Susan E. Rice worked until the last hour to get sanctions against Eritrea
As the Wikileaks cables have shown, Ambassador Susan Rice was instrumental in getting the illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions against the State of Eritrea. As this cable from 23 December 2009, the day the sanctions were adopted, show, she was not interested in getting evidence to support Ethiopia’s erroneous allegations against Eritrea, rather, she was more interested in appeasing Meles Zenawi and his lawless regime. The 23 December 2009 cable “RICE AND KOUCHNER DISCUSS AFGHANISTAN, GUINEA, ERITREA AND DRC” shows Susan E Rice’s last ditch efforts to sanction Eritrea. Let us take a look at what that cable says:
“… Ambassador Rice urged Kouchner to support U.S. efforts to impose Security Council sanctions on Eritrean officials who are undermining the Djibouti agreement and giving active support to the al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia. Rice pointed out that it had been a year since the Security Council had threatened sanctions against Eritrean officials if they did not comply with their international obligations, and it was time for the Council to make good on its promise…Rice said she understood that France did not want to drive the sanctions process…but that Russia and China were hiding behind French reluctance to move ahead with sanctions…”
The Council cannot violate Eritrea’s sovereign rights that are protected under the UN Charter. Members of the Security Council are not supposed to willfully obstruct the work of the Council, and powerful countries on the Council should not coerce countries into submitting either to its decisions taken in bad faith or to its demands negating the fundamental purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as Resolution 1907(2009) adopted on 23 December 2009 does.
Blinded by their hate for Eritrea, American diplomats in the Horn of Africa set aside diplomatic acumen and skepticism to embrace wholeheartedly Meles Zenawi’s version of events in the region, only to end up with even more intractable conflicts, bloodshed and greater humanitarian emergencies on their bloody hands. Allowing Ethiopia to dictate to the Security Council has undermined the Council’s dwindling credibility, efficacy and integrity. As for US’ reputation and stature…of US’ role as an honest broker…of ever gaining the trust of the people of the region…it’s anyone’s guess.
The Security Council should launch an independent investigation into Ethiopia’s libelous allegations against the State of Eritrea and its people. It should also repeal and annul the ill-gotten, illegal, unfair and unjust sanctions against Eritrea…
The rule of law must prevail over the law of the jungle!
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https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/05/09ADDISABABA1201.html
https://reliefweb.int/node/309759
https://unpos.unmissions.org/Portals/UNPOS/Repository%20UNPOS/090522%20AUPSC%20Communique%20(Addis%20Ababa).pdf
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/06/09ADDISABABA1450.html#
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09ADDISABABA1589.html# accessed 11/21/2011
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09TRIPOLI570.html accessed 11/22/2011
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09ADDISABABA1608.html# accessed 11/22/2011
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/08/09USUNNEWYORK772.html
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/10/09USUNNEWYORK874.html
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/11/09ADDISABABA2817.html accessed 11/21/2011
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/12/09USUNNEWYORK1153.html accessed 11/11/2011
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