ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

Early day motion 310, tabled 11 February 1999 by John Austin (Labour). Signed by 13 members.

That this House acknowledges the heroic struggle of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front over a period of 17 years and their success in finally defeating Mengistu's brutal Derg regime in 1991; applauds the muture decision of the Ethiopian government to accede to Eritrea's independence in 1993; is dismayed and concerned by the subsequent border disputes between Eritrea and Ethiopia and Eritrea's resort to armed force in May 1998 and its attacks upon Tigray province; welcomes the efforts of the Organisation for African Unity and the US/Rwandan facilitators to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the subsequent endorsement of their proposals by the UN Security Council; regrets the refusal by Eritrea to accept the call of the OAU for withdrawal from the occupied areas; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to reaffirm its support for the OAU peace proposals and for Eritrea and Ethopia to cease all military activity and enter negotiations based upon UN Security Council Resolution 1177.

Signatures by party: Labour 9, Liberal Democrat 4.