By Alexandra Hudson
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – An international commission charged with setting the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea dissolved itself on Friday, leaving the two states who fought a border war that killed some 70,000 people to work it out alone.
Thousands died in World War One-style trench warfare in the 1998-2000 clash between the Horn of Africa neighbours and, according to the United Nations, the two sides have again amassed thousands of troops and artillery at the frontier.
The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, part of Permanent Court of Arbitration, fulfilled its mandate of determining the border in 2002. But a deadline for the two states to demarcate the boundary expired on Friday, with neither complying.
“Until such time as the boundary is finally demarcated, the delimitation decision of 13 April 2002 continues as the only valid legal description of the boundary,” the commission said in a statement on Friday.
Tensions between the countries have ratcheted up in recent weeks with the approach of the deadline to physically mark the 1,000-km (620-mile) frontier.
Asmara and Addis Ababa have been at odds over the border since the boundary commission gave Eritrea the flashpoint town of Badme in 2002.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi dismissed the commission’s deadline and called its demarcation ruling “legal nonsense”, but tried to allay concerns that a new border war could break out.
“We will never, ever go to war with Eritrea, unless there is full scale invasion,” Zenawi said on Thursday.
“I do not think that the Eritrean government would launch a full scale invasion, because it would be suicidal for them.”
Last November, the commission said it was fed up by the lack of progress with the border and gave both nations one year to make moves to mark the frontier or it would fix it on international maps.
CONFLICT FEARS
The United Nations and the United States have urged both countries to show restraint, and analysts were at odds over whether further violence might ensue.
“I don’t think the commission will stop the drift towards some sort of conflict,” said Patrick Smith, editor of the London-based Africa Confidential newsletter.
However, David Mozersky of the International Crisis Group think tank said he did not think the border commission’s end would trigger a move from either side, adding both countries were still bound by the terms of the internationally-brokered peace agreement which ended the war.
On Thursday, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Ethiopia next week for meetings on the conflicts in the region.
Rice is scheduled to meet leaders from the African Great Lakes region — Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda — in Addis Ababa on December 5.
6 thoughts on “Ethiopia-Eritrea commission ends, border unresolved”
Ulike the heading of this article suggests the Erirean-Ethiopian border is legally resolved. It is just not demarcated on the groung.
Also the EEBC did not “give” Eritrea Badme, it determined where the border lay. It was not “giving” or “taking” anything.
Also the commision made it very clear that one party was not co-orperating. It did not “blame” both.
Also according to official figures, released or admitted by both governments, the total number of soldiers who lost their lives was 150,000 not 70,000 as they keep repoting.
Finally since the border is delimited and our boundaries are clear to anyone with GPS, which includes both armies. Therefore Ethiopias refusal to hand move from the teritories such as Badme becomes a matter of illegal occupation. But I guess that was a detail the journalist thought irrelevant. I suppose when one considers the occupation of Somalia, occupied Eritrean territories are not important either.
Peace
Tesfa
Ethikopian and Eritrea are inseparable.Prove wrong.
The battle of the robbers:
Both robbers were inseparable for many years.Together, they ate from the plate,they drank from the same glass, and they bathed in the same river; and, they shared the same bed, both had fleeting dreams and countless nightmares; but never revealed or shared their private secrets either to each other or to their loyal followers.
Born in unfortunate time, Isayas and Meles never had a moral ground nor they practiced etiquite when they talked or ate.
They carried on the bad habit to this days. They don’t put the bite in their mouths before they licked their fingers.
They both have more than 100,000 combatants ready to carge head on. Soon, they will fight to their utter death as if the two fugitives had never been together while they were in Nakfa cave.
Do they have enough supply of bodygags in the stock?
Who will turn the upcoming blood battle into his advantage??
One felt treatened, and the other felt being bullied for years since their disagreement on how to nibble Ethiopia to her death.Both in essence are very close to kiss their fate and say goodbye to their troubled narrow world.
Clearly, Meles Zinawi is in his own along with his Weyanne soldiers;if they perish together, it is good. Because they are taking their fate in their own looting and murderous hands. However, not taking their fate into their hands has one deadly consequence as they will definitely be captured either dead or alive by the mighty Ethiopians.
Many years ago Isayas told his loyal followers that the bright future is within our reach and we must be dreamers and frugal, and of course, we shall be exporting the surplus to the rest of Africa. That was then, and this is what he is telling everybody who is out there,”Be ready for all eventualities.”
As for Ethiopians, their is no comprise with their Ethiopia. Meles Zinawi must be captured and face the justice.
We Ethiopians and Eriteans were supposed to be one,it is the individuals interest that resulted in separation.
Now it is the right time to unify, and struggle for DEMOCRACY.
We are one!Let us fight poverty and illiteracy!
We do not have time for war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obasanjo,
Nobody needs to prove you wrong. They are already two (hulet) political entities. But, I don’t see that as a problem. I see it as a way of life like you are what you are – “Obasanjo” as commentator #2 above is “Tesfa”. What should Eritreans and Ethiopians be bothered is how they use their meager resources. Do they use it for empty bravado like the Meles gangs appear to be doing or they used it WISELY supplementing each other’s needs. For those of us who seem to love to accuse Eritrea of being a parasitic of Ethiopia, we should slow down our uncontrolled anger for there is no bases for that and see how can we benefit from coordinated efforts with our neighbor. May be, just may be – Eritrea may have something to offer that Ethiopia may not have. So you see my friend, Obasanjo, there is always two sides to every story told. The choice, in my opinion, is a very clear cut choice: we either kill each other with no end in sight or come to the conclusion that a human being is supposed to make, like face it – it is a fait accompli. Does it do you any good to cry over split milk? Remember you may not be old enough, but, most Ethiopians ignored the plight of the Eritrean war victims committed by short sighted Ethiopian regimes that were supported by US and Soviet imperialisms (never mind their “socialism”). When the Eritrean mothers and children were crying for help, what did we do? Nothing. Doing nothing for a people that we consider to be part of us is down right SHAME. So, now after so much horrible sacrifice, they have achieved what we have been denying them for 30 bitter and long years. If I were you, I would be embarrassed of what my governments have done to the Eritreans all in my name when I haven’t gained a Penney out of it.
What about the Weyane thugs. Even if one is myopic enough to forget them for the crimes they did to Eritreans and Ethiopians “Of Eritrean origin” -whatever that means, to not honor the EEBC decision they have publicly signed for is a disgrace to the office they hold and all this after the famous fanfare where both Meles and Siyoum Mesfn bragged how they won territories that they never claimed for and how the Commission decision was “Final and binding”. Moreover it was a legal verdict where “The rule of law has prevailed over the rule of the jungle”. Need I say any more?
I don’t see light at the end of the tunnal, unless, ethiopia has access of the sea.