YouSaid · the spoken record

GEDLE-GIORGIS

lines on the record: 204
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 1982-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The time to rise to the supreme challenge of our times is now, for tomorrow may well be too late.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Not only is the noble goal of the United Nations to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war likely to remain a mere ideal, but there may be neither a generation to succeed nor a war from which to save it. We must therefore take the present international crisis as an opportunity for introspection and a time for decision to map out a strategy to save humanity from the impending global catastrophe. In such a strategy international confrontation must yield to international cooperation. Scrupulous adherence to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations must be consistently pursued and upheld. Each and every Government must exercise political wisdom, eschew political expediency and act, at all times, in the long term and broader interest of mankind.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In this regard, the head of State of my country, Chairman Mengistu Haile Mariam, in his statement to the Ethiopian people on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of the Ethiopian Revolution, said the following: Today, peace is the most vital issue for which the people of the entire world raise their voice in unison. The demand for the preservation and strengthening of peace, which at present figures top on the agenda of the entire peoples of the world, is also the demand of Ethiopia. The worldwide struggle for peace cannot also be seen separately from the struggle for national liberation, for a just international economic order, for democracy and social process. Unless mankind, collectively and with the utmost urgency, addresses itself to the serious challenges facing it today the consequences will be very grave indeed.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Indeed, we cannot envisage a solution to the problem of the world economic crisis in general and the least developed countries in particular unless the developed countries make a major political decision to accept and institute fundamental changes in the present international economic system. The growing anarchy in international relations and the ever present threat of a nuclear holocaust indicate that mankind has reached a very critical point in history. In the present circumstances, even decisions by individual States, let alone those taken collectively, are bound to affect the very survival of mankind and its civilization. While peace and progress are the overriding concern of humanity, war and destruction appear to be the hallmark of our era.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Food aid has tended in recent years to become a permanent feature of international assistance to the African countries. Today there are no fewer than 21 countries seeking special assistance from the United Nations because of their incapacity to withstand even mild shocks to their economies. This deteriorating situation has been a consequence of the basic structural constraints and other serious limitations. As a result most African countries, especially the least developed ones, have been forced out of the mainstream of international economic life. Unless the international community urgently implements on a priority basis the Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries, adopted at the Paris Conference the grave economic situation of these countries could soon reach an irreversible state.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The burden of indebtedness, the low level of foreign exchange earnings, balance of payments difficulties, instability of commodity prices, rising import bills, low level of agricultural productivity and food shortages remain the general characteristics of the economies of the developing countries. In the midst of the grim world economic situation, the condition of most African countries should be a matter of the utmost concern to the international community. It is rather sad to witness today that in Africa food shortages caused by the shortfalls in agricultural output, low productivity, changing ecological and unfavorable weather conditions pre in the process of creating the simplest form of dependence of the continent for its food on the developed North.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Similarly, Ethiopia attaches considerable importance to the signing, speedy ratification and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. An examination of the international economic situation, regrettably, shows an increasing resistance on the part of certain industrialized countries to instituting structural changes in the existing system of international economic relations. The continuing deterioration in the situation of developing countries is assuming alarming proportions, while the economies of the least developed countries are on the verge of collapse.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Despite the adoption by the General Assembly of the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace, the expansion or modernization of existing military bases and the acquisition of new ones in the area, as well as the deployment of rapid intervention forces and weapons of mass destruction, are being highly intensified. Those actions, contrary to the decisions of the United Nations, continue to endanger international peace and security. In the light of those alarming developments, the holding of a conference on the Indian Ocean is surely long overdue. We are therefore compelled to reiterate our demand for the convening of the Conference on the Indian Ocean, in Colombo, in the first half of 1983, as called for by the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“While the first deals with the urgent task of the complete and general prohibition of nuclear weapon tests, the second proposal underscores the growing need to redouble the efforts aimed at the elimination of the threat of nuclear war and the protection of peaceful nuclear facilities. As a party to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Ethiopia not only welcomes these important proposals but also urges all Member States to seize the opportunity they provide to halt the arms race, to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and the outbreak of nuclear war andto enhance the development of peaceful nuclear technology.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Obviously the main responsibility for that failure is borne by the very forces which have embarked on a policy of massive rearmament and advocacy of dangerous military doctrines such as that of a limited nuclear war. We therefore call upon the Powers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to demonstrate good will and cooperation in expediting negotiations on the comprehensive programme of disarmament so that it can be adopted at an early date. The unilateral undertaking by the Soviet Union not to be the first to use nuclear weapons is a significant step coupled with a reciprocal commitment by the other nuclear weapon States, would prevent the outbreak of nuclear war. At its current session the General Assembly has before it two important additional items also proposed by the Soviet Union.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In the light of the growing threat of a nuclear holocaust, we are convinced that urgent and concrete measures must be taken to halt and reverse the arms race, particularly in its nuclear aspect, until the attainment of our ultimate objective of general and complete disarmament under effective international control. The ongoing negotiations on strategic arms reduction prompt us not to lose hope despite the many failures we have encountered in our collective endeavors in this field. The expectations and hopes of the international community for a successful conclusion to the second special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament were shattered.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“With regard to Cyprus, Ethiopia strongly supports all positive efforts designed to bring to an end speedily all factors of disharmony and instability. My delegation insists that the independence, unity, territorial integrity and nonaligned status of Cyprus be fully respected. The reversal of detente and the accelerating pace of the arms race, coupled with the acquisition of new military bases and the provocative behavior of some States, have often again revived the dangerous era of the cold war. In the Race of the deteriorating international situation and the production, stockpiling and deployment of ever more deadly weapons of mass destruction, peace has today become the overriding concern not only of Governments but also of people everywhere, as has been demonstrated by the mounting public protests around the world.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“My Government strongly deplores the arrogant imperialist interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States in Central and Latin America. We reaffirm Ethiopia’s solidarity with the Nicaraguan revolution and the gallant fighters in Central America struggling against imperialism to reassert their inalienable right to guide their own destinies. In Asia, Viet Nam, Kampuchea and Afghanistan are endlessly becoming targets of imperialist provocation and slanderous campaigns. My Government is convinced that the thomy problems of South East Asia and SouthWest Asia could be resolved by the peoples concerned without outside interference. My Government also supports all endeavors aimed at promoting understanding between and the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Ethiopia condemns in the strongest terms possible the genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people and supports the call for an international investigation of the massacre in west Beirut. In any event, Israel and its imperialist allies cannot escape responsibility for that shameless and inhuman episode. Theimperatives of peace in the Middle East demand that Israel immediately withdraw from the entire territory of Lebanon and unequivocally recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a national homeland of its own. Ethiopia reiterates its full support for the exercise by the people of Western Sahara of its inalienable right to self determination and independence in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the OAU.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The return of all Arab lands occupied since 1967 to their rightful owners, the exercise of the right to self determination by the Palestinian people, including its right to an independent homeland in Palestine, and respect for the sovereignty and security of all the countries in the area will go a long way towards ensuring durable peace in that region. Israel’s recent invasion of Lebanon and the resulting loss of life and destruction of property have once again thrown the entire region into turmoil. The subsequent massacre in west Beirut of innocent people, after the withdrawal of Palestinian combatants under a guarantee of the safety of their families and other civilians, has shocked and angered the international community.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Even with the pressure being exerted against it by its imperialist racist adversaries, Africa is resolved not only to determine the course of its own development but also to contribute to the peace and security of the rest of the world. We are therefore convinced that the OAU will remain strong and viable to enable Africa to speak with one voice and to guide effectively the common destiny of the sons and daughters of our great continent. Despite the best efforts of the United Nations, peace in the Middle East still remains elusive.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Africa’s endeavors to forge continental unity have often been the target of bedevilment and attacks by its enemies. In spite of the numerous obstacles that the enemies of unity have set before it over the last 19 years, African unity still remains a force to be reckoned with. The OAU, which was conceived to ensure the freedom and peace as well as the economic development of our continent, has in the last 19 years scored remarkable achievements. Only its detractors would dare deny its outstanding contributions to the decolonization process. Nevertheless, imperialist forces to whose interests the success of the Organization has proved detrimental have left no stone unturned in their devious machinations to drive a wedge between the ranks of its membership. Africa’s strength stems from its unity.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The position they have taken now is thus as transparent as it is self serving. Let me reaffirm once again that peace in the Home of Africa will reign only when Somalia eschews its territorial claims over its neighbors. The benefactors of the Mogadishu regime could therefore make a positive contribution to the restoration of peace and stability in the area if they could persuade it to abide by the cardinal principles and decisions of the United Nations, the nonaligned movement, and the OAU, including the decisions of the eighteenth session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU, held at Nairobi in August 1981. Providing it with weapons and funds indulge in an unrealizable dream and destructive ventures can only exacerbate tension and conflict in the Horn of Africa.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“To be concerned about the actual state of relations between two neighboring countries is one thing, but to lament an internal turmoil within a given country, a turmoil arising from an oppressive rule, is a totally different matter. My Government therefore reiterates its categorical and unequivocal rejection of the baseless allegations levelled against Ethiopia and once again calls upon the Governments that show such misplaced concern to see the situation for what it is, namely, an internal struggle between the regime in Mogadishu and liberation forces opposed to its oppressive rule. In this context, I must underscore the fact that some of those Governments that are currently raising a false alarm were either arming and financing the aggressor or maintained a dead silence in 1977, when Ethiopia was the victim of Somalia’s aggression.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Hence, no amount of gross fabrication and distraction on the part of the Mogadishu regime and its collaborators can conceal the realities of the situation. Furthermore, it is evident that international imperialism and its surrogates in the area, particularly the archaic feudal potentates who could not even unite to combat genocide and help the Palestinian children falling at their doorsteps, are shamelessly echoing Somalia’s allegations. In their policy statements in the general debate of the current session and in other forums, those Governments have, regrettably, expressed concern over an alleged interState conflict in the Horn of Africa.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“It is obvious that the myth of the Ethiopian invasion has been fabricated by Mogadishu and its imperialist and reactionary patrons as a convenient pretext both to arm Somalia to pursue its territorial ambitions against its neighbors and to strengthen the imperialist military bases and the interventionist forces in Somalia. The truth is that under the leadership of the Somalia Salvation Democratic Front and the Somalia Liberation Movement, the Mejertin, Issaq, Dulbahanti, Haberawel and other oppressed nationalities of Somalia have taken up arms to rid themselves of the tyranny of the oligarchy based in the Merehan clan. The popular movements to which I have just referred have repeatedly and unequivocally declared to the world that they take full responsibility for the civil war now raging in Somalia.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“If Ethiopia has declared any war, it is a war on the enemies of mankind: hunger, disease and ignorance. Our revolution is irrevocably committed to advancing the material and spiritual wellbeing of the Ethiopian people. The linchpin of our foreign policy is likewise peace, progress and the promotion of good neighbourliness. Since the achievement of those objectives compels us to devote all our energies and resources to national reconstruction, Ethiopia has neither the need nor the intention to launch an invasion against Somalia.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In this connection, it may be recalled that even when the invading army had penetrated 700 kilometers into Ethiopian territory, the Ethiopian defense forces that routed the invading army early in the following year did not sweep the enemy to the shores of the Indian Ocean in hot pursuit, even though they had the capacity and the moral right to do so. As everyone will recall, our defense forces stopped at the international boundary between the two countries. That is an undeniable fact. Similarly, the record of Ethiopia’s policy of good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperation with its other neighbors, namely, the Republics of Djibouti, Kenya and the Sudan, eloquently speaks fbr itself. The national objective of our revolution has been repeatedly stated on several occasions.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Secondly, the international community, including those members that are today cynically shedding crocodile tears over the conveniently fabricated invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia, can surely testify to the fact that it was Somalia which committed an unprovoked and massive aggression against my country in July 1977. Since Ethiopia was in the midst of a far reaching revolution, the Mogadishu regime, in collusion with its imperialist and reactionary allies, had calculated that the time was opportune to strike at my country with a view to realizing Somalia’s expansionist ambitions and destabilizing the Ethiopian revolution.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“First, Ethiopia neither covets nor has it ever claimed any portion of the territory of Somalia. On the contrary, it is Somalia which, in a systematic violation of the terms of United Nations instruments that brought about its emergence in 1960 as an independent country on the map of Africa, continues to be obsessed by an expansionist dream at the expense of its neighbors. Contrary to the cardinal principles of the Charter and to the decisions of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, Somalia has over the past two decades repeatedly committed a series of brazen aggressions against its neighbors, especially my country, with the purpose of realizing its territorial ambitions.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In this regard, it is with great pleasure that I hail the victory once again scored by the people and Government of Seychelles over the forces of racism and imperialism. Encircled by a chain of military bases and interventionist forces, my own country is under constant danger. The forces of reaction, subversion, armed banditry and terrorism, bankrolled and equipped by international imperialism and its surrogates, are orchestrated to undermine the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of my country. Rocked by internal crises and strife, the despotic regime of Mogadishu has, since early July 1982, been making allegations of an Ethiopian invasion of its territory. With regard to those unfounded and self serving allegations, there are a number of facts that the international community needs to bear in mind.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, as well as Seychelles, a State that has no common boundary with South Africa, are under the constant threat of acts of banditry and sabotage emanating from South Africa. Indeed, armed bandits and mercenaries organized and trained by the Fascist regime of South Africa with the connivance of international imperialism are at this very moment carrying out acts of terrorism, murder and pillage in the People’s Republic of Mozambique. In the face of these developments, the international community must therefore render both diplomatic and material assistance to Mozambique in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, to enable that country to strengthen its defense capabilities to ensure respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Furthermore, Ethiopia pledges its unswerving support for the oppressed people of South Africa in their struggle to build a democratic society based on racial equality and majority rule. Similarly, Ethiopia reaffirms its support for and solidarity with the peoples and Governments of the frontline States of southern Africa, which must remain vigilant in defense of independence and human dignity against an undeclared war by the Fascist Pretoria regime. Pretoria, having failed in its strategy of maintaining racist and colonial regimes around its borders, has now embarked on establishing in southern Africa a belt of instability as yet another weapon for the defense of the abhorrent system. Today it is not only Angola that is the target of racist and imperialist forces.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Indeed, we strongly condemn the contrived issue of the so called Cuban presence in Angola as a blatant and impudent infringement of the sovereign rights of the People’s Republic of Angola. While supporting all viable initiatives within the framework of the United Nations plan for Namibia, Ethiopia believes that, in the absence of the political will to impose comprehensive and mandatory sanctions, resolution 433 will remain a dead letter. In the present circumstances, Ethiopia feels duty bound to continue to render political support and material assistance, within its modest means, for the intensification of the legitimate armed struggle being so resolutely waged by SWAPO, the sole and authentic representative of the people of Namibia.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Without the accession of Namibia to genuine independence and the complete dismantling of the racist edifice of apartheid objectives to which all of us appear to be committed durable peace in Africa, and indeed in the world at large, will remain elusive. We therefore cannot and must not allow the obstructionist and dilatory tactics of Pretoria to delay or compromise the inevitable independence of Namibia. In this connection Ethiopia once again calls for the speedy implementation of Security Council resolution 433. We reject each and every stratagem designed to introduce questions that are of no relevance to the issue and fall strictly within the purview of the sovereign jurisdiction of independent States.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“To us Africans, and indeed to all peoples the world over that cherish peace and freedom, the delay in Namibia’s accession to independence and the attempt to perpetuate the policy of apartheid in South Africa are outrageous in the extreme. The international community is fully aware that the terrorist regime in Pretoria, in collusion with its imperialist allies, is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to keep Namibia in its Fascist clutches. The independence process of Namibia has stalled because of Pretoria’s intransigence and the acquiescence of the Western contact group in its dilatory tactics.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Yet colonialism and racism in their most vile forms continue to be practiced in southern Africa. The racist regime in Pretoria, with the political, economic and military support of its imperialist allies, continues not only to subjugate the black majority in South Africa but also to consolidate its colonial occupation of the international Territory of Namibia. Harassment, imprisonment, torture and racial indignity are the daily lot of the masses of South Africa and Namibia, who have been cruelly deprived of even the most basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, the regime, acting as the agent of imperialism, is busy sowing the seeds of terrorism and destabilization in the entire sub region of southern Africa. The frontline States have become prime targets for unprovoked acts of aggression by racist Pretoria.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The unwillingness of some Members to be parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which has been finalized after more than eight years of painstaking negotiations, could adversely affect one of the major undertakings of the United Nations. The lack of political will on the part of the developed world to make possible the launching of global negotiations on the new international economic order and the overall heightening of tension on a global scale are disturbing trends. Twenty two years ago the General Assembly adopted its historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. By invoking this Declaration, a number of countries gained their independence and joined the family of free nations.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Contrary to the obligations entered into by Member States under the Charter, and despite the lip service so readily paid to its lofty ideals, the violation of its cardinal principles is increasingly becoming a habit rather than an occasional lapse. Today, wars of aggression are openly condoned, dying tension revived, and new conflicts fomented. International law continues to be flouted with impunity by those in the well known imperialist circles, whose interest in exploitation and dreams of expansion have been undermined by the mighty tide of national liberation and social emancipation. The frustrating outcome of the second special session on disarmament is a reflection of the precariousness of the prevailing international situation.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“I should also like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my delegation to the Secretary General for the able manner in which he is serving the cause of peace and progress. Thirty seven years after its establishment, the United Nations is still far from meeting the challenge of ensuring international peace and security. As a result of the exacerbation of existing conflicts, the creation of new hotbeds of tension, the acute global economic crisis and the ever increasing danger of a nuclear holocaust, mankind today lives under the shadow of total annihilation. The ray of hope that flickered with the birth of the United Nations, which was conceived to avert conflicts and promote international peace and cooperation is, regrettably, being dimmed.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“At the outset, Mr. President, my delegation would like to congratulate you on your unanimous election to guide the work of the thirty seventh session of the General Assembly. Your election is a recognition of your rich experience, personal qualities and statesmanship. It is also a fitting tribute to your country, the People’s Republic of Hungary, a country with which Ethiopia enjoys strong ties of friendship and cooperation, and a recognition of the outstanding contributions it has made towards peace and international understanding. I also pay a tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Kittani, for the skill with which he guided the work of the thirty sixth session.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“To those who might mistake our commitment to peace and co-operation for docile submission to persistent provocations, let me clearly and unambiguously sound a solemn warning. Ethiopia has so far consistently exercised patience and restraint. But its patience and restraint should not be presumed to be inexhaustible. Inasmuch as the preservation of its independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, and of its revolution, is the sine qua non of its national survival, Ethiopia will not hesitate to take all and any measures necessary to ensure their protection.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“As I pointed out earlier in my statement, that policy of peace and co-operation is continuously being translated into practical action in Ethiopia's relations with her neighbours, namely Kenya, Djibouti and the Sudan. 129. It would be unrealistic on our part to hope that the present ruling clique in Mogadishu would see reason and join the co-operative network that is so happily developing among all the other States of the Horn of Africa. We are, however, gratified by the knowledge that the people of Somalia, whose genuine desire to live in peace and active co-operation with their Mothers and sisters in the neighbouring countries has been momentarily distorted by the deranged Merihan clique, will continue to strive for the achievement of the noble aspirations of harmony and prosperity. 130.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“In conclusion, permit me to make a brief reference to a recent remark by my head of State, Comrade Chairman Mengistu Haile Mariam, who, in articulating Ethiopia's policy of peace and co-operation, said: "As has been repeatedly emphasized at various United Nations forums and the conferences of the non-aligned movement and the OAU, our struggle is always to foster friendship and co-operation based on justice, equality and peace among governments and peoples, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, respect for the independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts among nations..." 128. This is the clear policy to which socialist Ethiopia is unswervingly committed.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Whereas Ethiopia has asked for the prompt release and speedy repatriation of those Ethiopians who were forcibly abducted by the invading forces of Somalia, the question of repatriating those falsely labelled "Ethiopian refugees" by Somalia, however, does not arise, for the obvious and simple reason that they are nationals of Somalia herded into concentration camps for the sole purpose of extorting funds from the international community. 127.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“As the international community is well aware, Ethiopia has declared a general amnesty for all its nationals who happen to be in neighbouring countries. In this regard, thanks to the good offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the unfailing co-operation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan and that of the Republic of Djibouti, the process of voluntary repatriation of genuine Ethiopian refugees from the two neighbouring countries is being implemented.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“With respect to the question of refugees, the regime in Mogadishu, which has lost all credibility, claims that it is harbouring 1.5 million so-called "Ethiopian refugees" in its territory. A regime that so dramatically demonstrated its ability to convert its entire regular army into what it conveniently calls a liberation movement is now engaged in parading its nomads, orphans, widows and drought victims in relief camps and labelling them "Ethiopian refugees". The assistance it receives by such devious means from well- intentioned members of the international community is then shamelessly diverted to feed its army of aggression. The international community is thus duped into indirectly supporting Somalia's wars of expansion. My Government categorically rejects this sinister machination and denounces it vigorously. 126.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Ethiopia has exercised maximum restraint in the face of constant provocation and aggression. War drums are again beating in the Horn of Africa, and Ethiopia's patience and restraint are not without limits. We urge those Powers bent on using the bellicose regime in Mogadishu as an agent of destabilization to weigh the consequences of their odious acts, which could have serious repercussions on international peace and security. Ethiopia cannot and should not be expected to endlessly divert its scarce human and material resources from development needs to fend off continuously an expansionist adventurer and its imperialist allies. Ethiopia will, indeed, be compelled to take such necessary measures as will ensure durable peace and security and preserve its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. 125.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The short-term and the long-term interests of Somalia lie not in contemptuous disregard and impudent violation of the norms and principles governing international relations but rather in adherence to, and full compliance with, the cardinal principles of the Charter of the. United Nations and that of the OAU, as well as the policy of non-alignment. 124. As a founding Member of the United Nations, the OAU and the non-aligned movement, Ethiopia has a record of scrupulous compliance with the principles of the Charter and the decisions of these organizations. We come to the United Nations to contribute to the collective efforts of Member States aimed at advancing the causes of peace and international co-operation and not to engage in polemics with the representatives of the irresponsible ruling clique in Mogadishu.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Its impudent and persistent violations of the cardinal principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and its repudiation of the very resolution of the United Nations to which it owes its creation within its present borders, lead us to question the legal basis of the State of Somalia and its continued membership of this Organization. 122. Somalia's membership of the non-aligned movement, whose primary objective of peace it has trampled upon by offering military bases and facilities to a superpower and in the service of a military bloc, should be seriously reconsidered. The fact that some Arab States have already questioned its membership of the League of Arab States is a clear manifestation of the unprincipled, irresponsible and mercenary nature of Somalia's ruling clique. 123.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The specific conditions for peace and the normalization of relations between the two countries, as outlined by the OAU Committee and as subsequently reported to this Assembly, are the following: recognition of territorial integrity, non-interference in domestic affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes, prohibition of subversion, and inviolability of borders inherited on decolonization. 121. Expansionist Somalia, however, has once again arrogantly rejected the principled and wise counsel of Africa. It has, in fact, shown its defiance of the African family of nations by intensifying its acts of armed aggression.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“During the 20 years of Somalia's existence as an independent State, a ceaseless campaign of slander, repeated wars of aggression and countless acts of terror, subversion and sabotage have been unleashed by Somalia against its neighbours, more particularly against Ethiopia. Each time, Ethiopia has exercised maximum restraint. Successive regimes in Mogadishu, however, continued the infiltration of their soldiers into Ethiopia for the purpose of wanton destruction of human life and property. 120. Africa's position on the grave situation obtaining in our region has been clear and unequivocal. As reported to this Assembly by the current Chairman of the OAU on 24 September, Africa has fully grasped the gravity of the situation and its implications for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“It is a supreme irony that members of the present ruling clique of Somalia, whose loyal and active services in Mussolini's invasion forces for the colonization of Ethiopia are well known, should make the ludicrous allegation that Ethiopia, whose impeccable anti-colonial struggle is a matter of record, has collaborated with colonial Powers. The truth is that Somalia's active and fanatical pursuit of the policy of expansion and territorial aggrandizement has been and remains the root cause of repeated tension and wars in our region. All the three immediate neighbours of Somalia, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti, have been and remain the targets of Somalia's expansionist policy. 119.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“With the ending of colonialism in Africa and, more specifically, with the creation of Somalia as an independent State in 1960, Ethiopia hailed and welcomed the new African State in the earnest belief that the tragic episodes of expansionist wars perpetrated in our region by the colonial Powers for far too long had, at last, been permanently removed. Regrettably, however, Somalia, inheriting a legacy of expansionist dreams from its colonial mentors, devoted its entire human and material resources to the realization of that dream.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“We have also apprised the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the implications of these developments for international peace and security. 117. With the introduction of the United States intervention force into the Horn of Africa, the age-old struggle of the Ethiopian masses in defence of their independence has entered a new and critical phase. The territory of Somalia, which was used by Italian fascism as the staging ground for aggression and invasion against my country, is today being used as a spring-board for imperialist intervention against Ethiopia. 118.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)