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8 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 479 (1994)
Legality of Secessions: The Case of Eritrea

handle is hein.journals/emint8 and id is 493 raw text is: Articles

LEGALITY OF SECESSIONS: THE CASE OF
ERITREA
by
Minasse Haile*
I. INTRODUCTION
With the end of the Cold War, the expansion of democracy in
the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere, and the
closing of the era of Western colonialism in Africa and Asia, self-
determination is one of the most important political issues facing
the international community. The spread of democratic ideology
and the demise of the Cold War have enabled some minority
groups in independent states to express their discontent openly
and with varying degrees of impunity. Since there are currently
few states remaining whose populations are homogenous, such mi-
nority groups claiming a right to secede under the banner of self-
determination present a matter of global concern.
As widespread as the claim to self-determination has become,
there remain substantial disagreements concerning the core mean-
ing of the concept. Specifically, there are no generally accepted
guidelines for determining who the beneficiaries of the right of
self-determination are, or which circumstances give rise to the
right.
* Professor of Law, Cardozo School of Law; Ph.D. 1961, M.A. 1957, Juris Doctor 1954,
Columbia University; B.A. 1950, University of Wisconsin; Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Ethiopia, 1971-74; Ambassador of Ethiopia to the United States, 1968-71; Minister of Infor-
mation & Tourism, 1965-68; Chairman of Emperor's Cabinet, 1962-68; Civil Service Com-
missioner, 1961-62; Legal Advisor, Government of Ethiopia, 1961.

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