During the last few days the Awate Team has sought input from various organizations, community leaders, political cadres, party members, ex-fighters, members and leaders of civic societies, activists and many individuals with regards to the sudden discord that has erupted between AENF and ELF-RC leaders.  Most of the views can be summed up as distressing for they reflected people's shattered expectations as well as dejection with what transpired at the end of the session.

Concerned and dismayed by the shift in focus from a unified national democratic movement to intra-party politics, many did bear witness that the hopes of the Eritrean public have been clearly dented by the sudden outbreak of dispute.

The Awate Team, taking the expressed views of the public into consideration, was prompted to re-assess its offer to mediate between the feuding parties and has come to pass a unanimous decision to firmly pursue the plan. 

The Team believes that a timely mediation by its impartial committee is in a good position to resolve the dispute and is confident that it will succeed in reconciling the differences between the parties will.  The Team has prepared a package whose essence, it hopes, will offer a solution that satisfies both the leaders of ENA and ELF-RC. The package includes a preventative tool that can effectively stop escalation and settle the differences.  Not only does it employ a common sense approach but it is also designed to rebuild relationships between both parties with a primary focus on the need of the Eritrean people.

So far, according to our exploratory evaluation, the response we have received from the general public is quite encouraging. Likewise, the contacts with both parties have produced very encouraging responses. As we make the final provisions, we would like to remind the public to avoid unnecessary speculations as much as possible. In the mean time we would like to solicit your unreserved support for the initiative.

30 October 2002