[released by the Eritrean Embassy in Washington, D.C.]

Press Release

Status Quo Ante Is the Colonial Boundaries

Overly enchanted with the term, the Ethiopian government keeps harping on
the imperative "of restoring the status quo ante" as a precondition for
peace. This is either hypocritical or missing the whole point. The fact is
that, despite its lip service, it is the Addis Abeba regime that has
violated the status quo to provoke and trigger the war. In this respect,
*	its invasion of Adi Murug (Bada) in 1997 to dismantle the sovereign
Eritrean administration,
*	its issuance of a new, illegal map in October 1997 which slices off
large tracts of sovereign Eritrean territory in violation of the sanctity of
colonial boundaries, and
*	its pattern of encroachment in the Badme area to occupy several
Eritrean villages
are all instances of naked aggression and the alteration of the stable
status quo through illegal and forcible means.

As Eritrea has maintained from the beginning, the restoration of the status
quo ante is nothing more than respect of, and a reversion to, the colonial
boundaries which the Ethiopian regime has brazenly violated. The primary aim
of the OAU peace package is to ascertain respect of colonial boundaries--and
hence restoration of the stable status quo ante--through demarcation. But,
Addis Abeba is obstructing this by refusing to contemplate demarcation of
the boundary in accordance with inherited and sacrosanct colonial
boundaries. A violation of this principle of international law will set a
dangerous precedent for Ethiopia itself (its dispute with Somalia over the
Ogaden) and open a Pandora's box in Africa.

Interim redeployment of the troops of both countries is not going to restore
the status quo ante, as the regime in Addis Abeba insinuates. Redeployment
does not, indeed, constitute the kernel of the solution and the Technical
Arrangements do not contain "loopholes" in this or other aspects of the
peace package.

As the Framework and Technical Arrangements clarify, redeployment of forces
to areas that will be determined by the Neutral Commission is an interim
measure that is necessary to create a conducive climate for demarcation. It
is not, otherwise, confirmation of sovereignty of either country. Article 3
of the Technical Arrangements in fact states "redeployment shall not
prejudice the final status of the territories concerned, it being understood
that this status will be determined at the end of the delimitation and
demarcation process."

The OAU peace package has comprehensive and detailed provisions for
restoring the status quo ante by securing the cessation of hostilities and
the placement of a peace keeping mission to monitor interim redeployment of
troops so as to guarantee the demarcation of the boundary. This peace
package is being held hostage because the Ethiopian regime continues to
obstruct it under this or that redundant argument. The ball is thus in its
court. If the regime in Addis Abeba continues to abuse the patience of the
international community to frustrate peace and unleash war, it shall bear
sole responsibility for all the consequences.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 5 November 1999