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PRESS RELEASE ERITREAN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT Dear Compatriots! Eritrean Independent Democratic Movement (EIDM) assembled for its fourth Conference in the city of Ottawa, Canada, from the 19th - 21st of April 2003. Our Conference conducted frank and extensive discussions on all major issues pertinent to our current domestic and external national situation, passed relevant decisions on matters of importance, and elected five-member administrative committee. By acknowledging successful conclusion of its conference, the EIDM is once again demonstrating its commitment and readiness for further entrenched struggle. Our fourth conference has seriously noted an increasingly worsening state of the nation that is quickly precipitating towards the final collapse of the regime. At this stage, PFDJ is neither paying any attention to the state of affairs of the nation, nor does it have the capacity to do so. PFDJ is fully preoccupied with the struggle for its mere survival. To make things worse, problems ensuing from lack of leadership and democratic governance are compounded by the present drought. Unless the international community undertakes a concerted action, imminent catastrophe is on the horizon. These developments make it incumbent upon all political organisations and Eritreans at large to pull their resources towards the salvation of our nation and our people. Dear Compatriots! Our fourth conference observed and seriously examined current developments that put our national sovereignty in peril. Although we seem to be heading towards final stage of settlement of the bloody conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia that was waged under the pretext of boarder dispute, Ethiopia does not seem to be ready to abide by the final verdict. The expected demarcation process is heading towards a serious challenge. There is clear evidence that we might be awaiting yet for another conflagration of the conflict. Based on these observations, our conference acknowledges the need for both governments to commit themselves to prior agreements and comply with the verdict of the international court. The conference also makes urgent calls to all international and regional institutions and to the peoples of both countries to exert the necessary efforts towards respecting and execution of the pending boarder decision without any delay and to be vigilant to fight any efforts towards renewed bloody conflict. Beyond that the EIDM conference strongly condemns any instigation that can lead to any military confrontation, or any attempts to frustrate the peaceful and legal efforts of settling this conflict. In spite of the above stated unsettling development and volatile situation that our country is experiencing, our conference clearly registered the incompetent and out of touch leadership of the Addis Abeba Alliance’s strong interest in a new cycle of fratricide. Ostensibly under the banner of democratic change and concern for our people, these irresponsible announcements of and preparations for civil war practically serve the interests of external forces. Consequently, our conference strongly condemns these futile ventures of the bankrupt and archaic elements in the Alliance leadership. The conference also calls on all Eritreans to strongly oppose to this clique’s destructive and ill-advised course towards civil war. Dear Compatriots! Our forth Conference gave due consideration to the Eritrean opposition, and examined the true nature of and the prevailing conditions within the opposition groups. The conference upheld as right and unquestionably necessary our principled stand regarding the fateful developments in the Addis Ababa meeting of the Alliance, as expressed in our communiqué and in our newsletter "EWAN issue no. 03". This was attested by the evident new trend of realignment within the opposition camp. Although superficially it may look like the opposition forces have delved into more schisms and fragmentations, and in the process giving a breathing room for PFDJ, our movement views this as a temporary process of reorganization and realignment. We believe this is opportune moment for reorganization and creation of a strong and effective opposition. Seizing this opportunity, our movement pledges to devote all its efforts, and to take all the necessary steps for the realization of an effective and truly national opposition force. Beyond that however, we would like to reiterate our prior calls upon all concerned organisations to speed up the process of realignment towards the creation of a truly national opposition force. Further more, we call upon the public forums to elevate their struggle to a national level and gear their efforts in tandem with the genuine opposition forces. Our conference evaluated all the dimensions of the developments that occurred within our movement. The conference made exceptional note to the inept and malicious attempts of the Addis Ababa Alliance leadership and its cohorts against our movement. We are deeply aware of their deliberate attempts to mislead and confuse the general public regarding the true identity of our movement and its members. Even though the well- informed entities and elements of the opposition camp have clearly showed their contempt against the well engineered and orchestrated propaganda campaign of the archaic elements in the alliance, our conference paid the required attention to this matter, and appropriate decision were taken to bring this matter to an end once and for all. Finally our conference applauded the principled behaviour of our members, who rejected low level provocation and character assassination and strictly adhered to the political mission and culture of our movement. Homage and honour to all our martyrs!!! Eritrean Independent Democratic Movement April 21, 2003. Ottawa, Canada.
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