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Ethiopia to Investigate War Losses: Report
Ethiopia has established a special committee to investigate, assess and produce recommendations on damages caused by its war against Eritrea, local weekly Fortune reported Sunday.
The committee, which will be working under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is charged with the investigating the fate of 127 million U.S. dollars worth of goods stranded at Eritrean ports after the start of the conflict in May 1998.
Hundreds of Ethiopian businessmen, who claimed to have lost more than 100 million dollars, said that they were unable to collect, or take their cases with the Eritrean government.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian insurance companies are also reluctant to compensate the businessmen, saying that their policy does not cover loss caused by acts of war.
In addition to collecting and studying compensation appeals filed by the businessmen, the committee will also assess the damage caused to infrastructure of Zalambessa, an Ethiopian border town of about 15,000 people in Tigray State, that was leveled to the ground during the occupation of Eritrean troops.
Allegations of human rights abuses by Eritrean forces will also be investigated by this committee, the weekly said.
Under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity, Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a ceasefire agreement in June.
The two countries are expected to settle their border disputes and war compensation problems through negotiations after the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces along their border.
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