VZCZCXYZ0021
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAE #0690 2370800
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250800Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8391
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 5945
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 2831
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4623
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1192
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1365
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS ASMARA 000690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR ER
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ISAIAS SPEAKS ON BORDER AND ON REGION 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: In a speech given August 24 to students in the northern 
Eritrean town of Nakfa, President Isaias continued to blame the US 
for lack of progress on border demarcation and insisted that Eritrea 
will find its own solution to the impasse.  In his standard diatribe 
against the Ethiopian TPLF regime, he referred to Ethiopia's 
involvement with Somalia, and contended that Ethiopia is using 
Somalia to detract attention from Ethiopia's internal conflicts.  He 
applauded Eritrea's "good neighbor" approach to foreign policy and 
claimed responsibility for promoting peace and stability in the 
region.  For evidence of the success of this policy, Isaias pointed 
at recent progress towards peace in Sudan and Somalia.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. Comment: President Isaias was entirely predictable in his speech. 
He blamed external forces, namely the US, for lack of progress on 
the border, with no acknowledgement of efforts undertaken by the 
international community to progress toward demarcation.  In 
addition, President Isaias continues to see himself as a player in 
the region, taking credit for success in Sudan.  His claim of 
"progress toward peace" in Somalia is somewhat confusing given the 
situation reported on the ground there.  Perhaps by promoting this 
role in Somalia, he is acknowledging Eritrean involvement on the 
ground.  End Comment. 
 
¶3. English translation of speech summary from the Government of 
Eritrea's official website, www.shabait.com follows below. 
 
Begin text: 
President Isaias Afwerki said that Eritrea is currently on a strong 
footing in the economic, political, social and security domains. He 
made the remarks in a briefing he gave yesterday at the School of 
Social Sciences in Nakfa on the prevailing situation, present 
challenges and prospects". 
 
Stating that these achievements were made possible thanks to the 
strategies adopted and implemented over the past eight years, the 
President stated that the action program for economic development 
and the investment made are now in a reliable stage. He further 
elaborated that our capacity to meet any challenges has reached the 
highest stage. 
 
On the border issue, President Isaias explained that no progress has 
been made due to complications created by external forces, 
especially the US Administration and that time and history would 
provide their own answers. President Isaias went on to assert that 
Eritrea would bring about a reliable and guaranteed solution to this 
problem in which future generations would lead a secure life. 
 
Regarding political developments in Ethiopia vis-?-vis its impact on 
Eritrea's internal situation, the President noted that the TPLF 
regime has ceased to be a legal political force and has subsequently 
turned into a mercenary clique. In this connection, he pointed out 
that it is no more possible to use Eritrea as a means of conducting 
agitation and sacrificial lamb in Ethiopia. 
 
With regard to the situation in Somalia, The TPLF regime is 
presently resorting to futile maneuvers alleging that "terrorism 
prevails in that country" and that it "poses a threat to Ethiopia," 
in a bid to divert the attention of the Ethiopian people from the 
internal crisis and weaken the popular uprising. In this respect, 
President Isaias noted that such attempts on the part of the regime 
reflect the acute desperation it is in, as well as a vivid 
demonstration of its ultimate doom. 
 
Explaining that Eritrea's diplomatic strategy, being a continuation 
of internal strategy namely fostering good-neighborliness 
characterized by peace and stability, President Isaias underlined 
that this country has been exerting relentless efforts to promote 
peace and stability in the region. He further noted that these 
unremitting endeavors have already borne fruitful outcome and cited 
the peace progress in Sudan and Somalia, as well as developments in 
Eritrea's relations with neighboring countries. 
 
President Isaias also gave extensive briefings to questions from the 
5th graduating batch of the School of Social Sciences on the 
objective situation in the Homeland. End Text. 
 
 
McIntyre