UN General Assembly
1999

the whims of one man. The net effect of these domestic political characteristics and their impact on peace and security in our subregion is that more than any other people it is, in the final analysis, the Eritrean people that are suffering most, bearing the brunt of the hardship resulting from their Government’s destabilizing policies and activities in the Horn of Africa. No one who has closely followed this tragedy visited on Ethiopia by the Eritrean leadership can be unaware of how much effort Ethiopia has made, for over nine months, to ensure the reversal of the Eritrean aggression through peaceful means. But it was to no avail. And, most regrettably, the United Nations failed us. In contrast, I should like to express my Government’s admiration and gratitude for the commendable stand taken by OAU and Africa throughout the crisis in defence of the principles on which this Organization was founded. However, despite the efforts of the OAU, Eritrea did not listen. The United Nations pretended, even though it knew better, that there had been no aggression. The