What We Can Learn From The Isaias-Meles Letters of August 1997

In mid-August 1997, President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea wrote to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. He explained that he felt compelled to raise concern over the tense situation in the Bada region. Although the boundary between the two countries had never been formally demarcated, it was traditionally known and respected. Because of their close ties, Isaias said, neither side had previously given it much attention, believing it would not cause future disputes. Minor issues had occasionally arisen along the border, but local officials always defused them amicably. This time, however, Isaias protested that the #Ethiopian army had forcibly occupied Adi-Mrug*, expelled #Eritrean administrators, and dismantled the existing administration. Such use of force, he stressed, was unjustified. Even if the matter was urgent, it could have been handled quietly and resolved through discussion or proper demarcation. He urged Meles personally to take prudent action so that the incident would not trigger unnecessary conflict.

Meles replied later that month. He acknowledged Isaias’s concerns and confirmed that he too had heard the situation at the border was not good. He mentioned that the matter had been discussed between their respective colleagues, Yemane [Gebreab, #PFDJ Director of Political Affairs] for Eritrea and Tewelde [Weldmariam, #TPLF politburo] for Ethiopia.

According to Meles, Ethiopia had not expected the events at Bada to cause problems. The areas entered by Ethiopian forces had not been regarded as disputed, and his government believed consultation was only necessary in contested areas. The military movement, he explained, was not intended to seize land but to pursue remnants of the Afar opposition Ougugume (Qafar Uguugumoh Demokrasiyyoh Inkiinoh Fooca or ARDUF) who were obstructing peace efforts from positions there.

Nevertheless, Meles said, the issue should not escalate. Tensions could be eased on the basis of prior understanding between the two sides. He suggested that after proper preparation, the boundary demarcation issue could be resolved.

Meles also turned to wider bilateral issues. Eritrea’s plan to introduce its own currency required an orderly arrangement, and until preparations were complete, temporary measures were needed so daily life and trade were not disrupted. He proposed coordination between the central banks, clearing and settlement of government transactions, and transitional rules for commerce. Consultation with the World Bank could also be helpful.

He argued that cross-border trade should be regulated to prevent contraband and ensure both economies benefited. Customs procedures and port and transit rules needed to be harmonized. Cooperation in infrastructure — roads, telecommunications, power, and air transport — should continue, with fees and revenues to be settled fairly by technical experts. Finally, he suggested coordinating actions against groups like Ougugume, so that security issues would not generate frictions between the governments.

On 25 August 1997, Isaias wrote again. He insisted that the measures taken at Adi-Murug were not in disputed land but on Eritrean territory, with Eritrean administrators expelled and the administration dismantled. The Ethiopian action had come, he noted, just as Eritrea’s Defence Ministry was preparing — at Ethiopia’s request — to cooperate against Ougugume. He added that similar measures had also been taken in Badme.

He declared once more that these actions were unjustified. To stop further deterioration and open a way to a final solution, Eritrea had appointed three senior officials — Defence Minister Sebhat Ephrem, Political Affairs head Yemane Gebreab, and National Security Adviser Abraha Kassa — to meet urgently with Ethiopian representatives. He proposed that Ethiopia likewise appoint officials for direct talks.

Isaias emphasized that Eritrea’s delegation was ready not only to discuss the immediate border crisis but also broader bilateral matters: transitional currency arrangements to protect commerce and payments, trade and customs rules to prevent contraband, and cooperation in infrastructure and services such as roads, telecommunications, power, and air links, with fair formulas for costs and revenues.

He concluded by asking Meles to name his delegation and agree on a time and place for the meeting. The purpose, he said, was to reverse the measures in Adi-Murug and Badme, restore normalcy, and set a course toward durable solutions — both for the border and for the economic and administrative issues affecting the daily lives of their peoples.

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* Adi Mrug is a hamlet in the Bada subzone, Gela’alo subzone in Northern Red Sea region.  A 1997 survey conducted by the Eritrean government showed it had 254 households with 1,006 residents.   

What’s not in the letters

1. Two Months Later: #TPLF’s “Weyin” magazine issues a new map of #Tigray incorporating land from Begemder, Wollo provinces of Ethiopia as well as Eritrea. TPLF policy was Ethiopia’s policy. The incorporation of Begemder and Wollo into Tigray would not be militarily contested until 2020, but the incorporation of Eritrean territories was contested in 1998.

2. Until November 1997, both Eritrea and Ethiopia had used Derg Era Ethiopian Birr. In the letters, Isaias mentions the upcoming launch of Eritrea’s new currency, Nakfa. Meles never mentions that Ethiopia was also going to change its bank notes the same month (November 1997.) Consequently, Eritrea was holding substantial old Birr with no agreed path for redemption for the retired Birrs.

3. Ethiopia insisted that all cross border trade for amounts in excess of 2,000 Nakfa be conducted in hard currency or letters of credit.

4. Whereas, back then, there was only one armed Afar “revolution” (the meaning of Uguugumo), there are now at least three, some directing their guns to Ethiopia, some to Eritrea, some to Djibouti.