UN Warning over Horn Conflict
Nick Jones | 05.02.2004 23:18 | London | World
In January the US State Department warned of the possibiliy of a new war between these old rivals, and on the 4th February a UN envoy to the area warned of the ever rising tensions.
The 1998 border clash between Eritrea and Ethiopia came to a settlement in 2000 when both parties agreed in the Algiers agreement to the establishment of a boundary commission. Both countries declared that they would accept any decision the boundary commission made.
However, when the commission awarded the contraversial town of Badme, the centre of the hostilities, to Eritrea, Ethiopia refused to recognise the decision. It claims that the decision was biased towards Eritrea, and will not allow the physical demarcation of the border to commence.
Ethiopia has been calling for former Canadian Foreign Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, to attempt to settle the deadlock. However, Eritrea quickly rejected this proposal as it sees Mr Axworthy as a possible alternative to the boundary commission's ruling, with which it is happy.
If the tensions are not dealt with soon then there is a possibility that the war will reignite, causing havoc in an ulready dangerously unstable region. Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, the UN special representative for Eritrea and Ethiopia said that a new war in the near future was unlikely, but that the situation was getting continually more dangerous.
The 1998 war, which lasted for two years, cost over 100,000 lives and has also resulted in huge numbers of refugees and internally displaced people. It has also exacerbated problems of famine and drought in both countries.
However, when the commission awarded the contraversial town of Badme, the centre of the hostilities, to Eritrea, Ethiopia refused to recognise the decision. It claims that the decision was biased towards Eritrea, and will not allow the physical demarcation of the border to commence.
Ethiopia has been calling for former Canadian Foreign Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, to attempt to settle the deadlock. However, Eritrea quickly rejected this proposal as it sees Mr Axworthy as a possible alternative to the boundary commission's ruling, with which it is happy.
If the tensions are not dealt with soon then there is a possibility that the war will reignite, causing havoc in an ulready dangerously unstable region. Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, the UN special representative for Eritrea and Ethiopia said that a new war in the near future was unlikely, but that the situation was getting continually more dangerous.
The 1998 war, which lasted for two years, cost over 100,000 lives and has also resulted in huge numbers of refugees and internally displaced people. It has also exacerbated problems of famine and drought in both countries.
Nick Jones
