Eritrea Profile Volume 7 No. 37 Nov. 18
President Isaias Afwerki held talks yesterday with Mr. Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). Mr. Legwaila said that although the mandate of the UNMEE is to ensure the implementation of the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, it attaches great importance to an early conclusion of a peace settlement on the part of the conflicting parties. He commended the overall cooperation that the Government of Eritrea is extending to facilitate the work of the UNMEE, which, he said, has now reached the third stage of the discharge of its mandate.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General pointed out that the first meeting of the Military Committee, which was originally set to convene on the 23rd of November, would instead take place on December 2, 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. The postponement of the original time schedule was done upon the request of the Ethiopian Government, according to Mr. Legwaila. President Isaias informed the Special Representative that right from the beginning, the Government of Eritrea has been exerting constant efforts to promote a peaceful and legal solution to the border crisis. The President underlined that Eritrea's endeavors to implement, in letter and spirit, the Algiers Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities attests to its commitment to achieve a peaceful settlement.
President Isaias stated that provided the Ethiopian Government demonstrates political readiness, the remaining phase in the peace process does not pose difficulties. He pointed out that the issues presently discussed refer to border demarcation in accordance with colonial treaties, compensation to the civilian population whose property has been illegally confiscated as well as for the injustice inflicted on the people and the destruction of infrastructure and public institutions.
The President reiterated the Eritrean Government's clear stand that a solution to the border problem should be sought on the basis of demarcation in line with the accepted principles upheld by the African states. Earlier, Mr. Legwaila held similar discussions with Foreign Minister Ali Seid Abdalla and the Defense Minister, General Sebhat Ephrem.