Roundup: Border Decision is Main Core for Ethio-Eritrea Peace Process

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Roundup: Border Decision is Main Core for Ethio-Eritrea Peace Process

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The United Nations Security Council delegation has concluded its visit to Ethiopia and Eritrea, which was described as a positive visit by the head of the mission Ole Peter Kolby, Norwegian Ambassador to the United Nations.

The mission's visit came just almost one month left for the final decision of border delimitation between the two sides made by the Boundary Commission in Hague.

Kolby, upon his arrival here, said the mission's visit was to assist the two countries to implement the Algiers Peace Agreement, which was signed in 2000 between the two countries in the wake of a border conflict of more than two years.

The disputed 1,000 kilometers border was the core of the Ethio- Eritrea conflict starting in May, 1998, in which tens of thousands people were killed in the fight and millions of people were displaced from their homes.

During the visit, Kolby told leaders of the two countries that the security council is expected to hold consultations on the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, which is currently stationing about 4,200 peacekeeping forces within the Temporary Security Zone, about 25 kilometers deep inside the Eritrean side.

The two sides have expressed their commitment to implementing the peace agreement and to accepting the decision of border delimitation by the Boundary Commission despite the two countries still remain some disputes on the issues concerning the release of Prisoners of War and information of deployed land mines.

It is reported that Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the mission that he would accept a judicial decision on the border delimitation while Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki declared to respect the border demarcation decision in accordance with the colonial treaties.

Last week, Solomon Enqway, the parliamentary speaker of Ethiopian northern Tigray State, said Ethiopia will not be bound by "any unjust decision that is based on appeasement and compromise," adding that Ethiopia will not accept any judgment that would pass the disputed order town of Zalambessa and other surrounding villages to Eritrea.

During the conflict, Zalambessa was the first border town in the state taken over by the Eritrean forces and the last one to be withdrawn by its troops.

Before ending the mission to the two countries, Kolby, who is an experienced diplomat, assured the press media that the two countries have promised to accept the border decision as final and binding.

However, observers held that no one can be absolutely sure that they will completely respect the decision since no confident building has been established between the two countries' leaders who used to be comrade-in-arms during the fight against previous government.

Diplomats of the mission also hinted that although a cease-fire has been scrupulously observed following the signing of peace agreement, there is still no love between the two sides.

Meanwhile, troops still maintain along the common borders, and people of both sides could neither visit, nor trade, nor phone. Even family's members are still divided. With only one month left for the border delimitation decision, what will happen or what will not happen, people of both sides have to wait and see.

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