Ethno-Net Database: Africa

Reports on Ethnic Relations / Rapports sur les relations éthniques

The following section is mainly consisted of part, full or summaries of articles taken from newspapers.
La section suivante est essentiellement constituée d'exraits, de la totalité ou de résumés d'articles issues de journaux .

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says the voluntary repatriation of Eritreans from Sudan is set to resume soon.

The convoys, returning Eritrean refugees to their homeland, stopped last October due to military activity in the Kassala area of Sudan and the closure of the Eritrea-Sudan border.

In a report, UNHCR said there had been "positive negotiations" between the agency and the governments of Sudan and Eritrea with a view to resuming the repatriations.

"Constant engagement by UNHCR and the governments of Sudan and Eritrea, in remaining responsive to the need to continue the voluntary repatriation operation, is expected to result in an agreement between the two governments to resume repatriation," it said.

Some 36,000 Eritreans have registered to return home. A major operation to return Eritreans, who fled to Sudan during Eritrea's 30-year independence war, began in May 2001. The previous year, UNHCR began assisting refugees, who fled the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia, to return home. The refugee agency says that since July 2000, 103,000 Eritreans have gone home, mostly to western Eritrea.

In December 2002, UNHCR ended refugee status for Eritreans as the situation at home had stabilised. But the agency and the Sudanese government are continuing to interview individual asylum seekers on a case-by-case basis.

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Border ruling stays as it is, commission says"

The independent Boundary Commission has rejected calls by Ethiopia for variations to the contested border with neighbouring Eritrea and called for moving ahead with demarcation.

In an 11-page "observations" report issued on 21 March, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) also stated that the now-symbolic village of Badme - where the two-year border war flared up - was in Eritrea.

The latest decision follows a 141-page clarification request put forward by Ethiopia in January concerning last year's border ruling, issued on 13 April. Ethiopia has recently indicated it may not accept the ruling unless certain changes are made.

"It [EEBC] cannot allow one party to claim a territorial right, to insist on adjustments of parts of the boundary which that party finds disadvantageous," the EEBC said in its latest report. It described the evidence put forward by Ethiopia as "inadequate".

"The maps submitted by Ethiopia were inconsistent as to the location of Badme village and the evidence was nothing like what might have been expected," it said.

"Since Badme village, as opposed to some other parts of Badme region lay on what was found to be the Eritrean side of the [1902] treaty line, there was no need for the commission to consider any evidence of Eritrean governmental presence there although Eritrea did in fact submit such evidence," it added.

Senior Ethiopian officials told IRIN on Friday that Ethiopia was committed to the peace process and agreed that the 13 April ruling was "final and binding". They said a team of lawyers was analysing the latest report by the EEBC.

Eritrea's acting Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed concurred that under the December 2000 Algiers peace agreement, both countries had agreed that the border ruling would be "final and binding".

"No party is allowed to change this," he told IRIN. "We are talking about the rule of law".

He said Eritrea was committed to working for peace and hoped Ethiopia would do the same. "There is no good war and no bad peace," he said. "We have seen too much devastation."

The latest report now opens the way to physical demarcation of the 1,000 km border which is due to start in the eastern sector in July.

"The parties must cooperate with the commission in ensuring that the commission be able to complete its work [as] set out by the schedule," the EEBC report stated.

Diplomatic sources close to the peace process also urged both countries to now push forward and accept the decision.

"The ruling is a wholly legal decision and has nothing to do with the two sides' positions regarding the [1998-2000] war," said one source.

"It would be impossible to unpick a ruling by the EEBC," the source added. "This is an internationally recognised legal body. By doing so, you are opening the door to international anarchy."

However, the EEBC allows the parties to make final adjustments if they both agree to do so.

"It is inherent in any boundary delimitation that it may give rise to anomalies on the ground," the report said.

"This was expressly anticipated and expected by the parties in the December 2000 agreement and by the commission in demarcation directions of July 2002," it said.

"This is essentially a matter for the parties to deal with by agreement between themselves or by agreeing to empower the commission to vary the boundary or by turning to the United Nations..."

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: UN force commander meets US Horn counterpart"

The force commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has held talks with the head of the US anti-terror taskforce based in Djibouti.

The two-day talks, which took place last week, focused on security in the Horn of Africa and how to ensure long-term stability in the war-ravaged region.

UNMEE's Major General Robert Gordon met Major General John F. Sattler aboard the USS Mount Whitney in the Gulf of Aden - the headquarters of the Horn of Africa taskforce.

A statement released by the US after the talks, which ended on Thursday, said that while both sides had "distinctly different missions", they discussed "topics of mutual interest".

It said the meeting addressed "security issues in the Horn of Africa region, force protection and methods for establishing conditions leading to long-term stability in the region".

Maj-Gen Sattler heads a 1,700 strong US force, including special forces troops who aim to "detect, disrupt and defeat" terrorist groups operating in the Horn of Africa region.

His British military counterpart heads the 4,200 UN peacekeepers, taking command as crucial demarcation of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea gets underway.

The talks took place after military leaders from Ethiopia and Eritrea met in Djibouti - part of a series of Military Coordination Commission (MCC) meetings held under the auspices of the UN.

Security plans for the impending demarcation of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea are being drawn up, the head of the UN's peacekeeping force said on Saturday.

In a statement, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, said talks of "common concern" were underway about what security measures would be in place for demarcation - now scheduled for July.

The security talks have been taking place between both countries, the independent Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) and the UN's Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

Issues under discussion included who would be responsible for securing the pillar sites and for providing security to EEBC staff.

Legwaila's statement comes after the EEBC urged UNMEE to ensure the safety of boundary commission staff who will be working on the ground in the 25 km-wide buffer zone to mark out the border.

The commission has also asked UNMEE to protect the concrete pillars that will mark the new 1,000 km-long border to ensure the bases "are not disturbed".

But in his statement, Legwaila said it was felt that Ethiopia and Eritrea should take responsibility for security during demarcation, while UNMEE "could assist the process".

"UNMEE, already present in many areas on the ground, could assist the process by monitoring the parties' discharge of this responsibility within the context of its monitoring mandate and without leading to a confusing duplication of functions on the ground," he stated.

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Islamic group says it planted mines"

An armed Eritrean Islamic group has claimed responsibility for a mine blast last month which killed five Eritrean militia, including a colonel, in the buffer zone separating Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The opposition Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM) claimed on the Internet that the "Mujahedin" were behind the landmine ambush.

"The ambush targeted a military vehicle with four members of the military and one driver," it said on the www.eijm.org website.

"On 14 February 2003, an ambush was laid by the Mujahedin in a location called Hidimi, east of the town of Om Hajer," it added.

The UN's Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) had highlighted the February mine incident, blaming it on "dissident groups" opposed to the Eritrean authorities.

In a press briefing a week after the blast, UNMEE said the Eritrean authorities had informed it of the incident "a few days" afterwards. It also reported that a colonel was among the victims. UNMEE added that the mine was probably newly-laid as the road had been cleared several times.

The Aricle: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Ethiopia rejects accusations of laying mines"

Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of laying mines in the buffer zone between the two countries, an allegation Addis Ababa described as "surprising".

The claims were made by Eritrea's Commissioner for coordination with the UN peacekeeping force, Brigadier General Abrahaley Kifle, after military leaders from both countries met in Djibouti earlier this week.

"At a time when the demarcation on the ground is immediate, the woyane [Ethiopia] regime is creating obstacles to hamper the process," he said, according to the Eritrean ruling party's Shaebia website.

The Eritrean delegation to the Military Coordination Commission (MCC) meeting called on the UN, which chairs the meetings, to "put an end to this act of mining which is causing damage to the people and defence forces of Eritrea, [and] the peacekeeping force".

However, an Ethiopian foreign ministry official told IRIN that General Abrahaley's remarks came as a "surprise".

Sources close to the MCC meeting said the atmosphere at the talks had been "cooperative".

The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) recently said it believed "dissident groups" opposed to the Eritrean authorities were laying new mines in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) between the two countries, following a series of blasts over the last few weeks. However, it refused to speculate as to who may be responsible.

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Countries' commitment to peace process hailed"

The Ethiopian and Eritrean armed forces were praised on Friday for their "disciplined and faultless" commitment to the peace process.

UN force commander Robert Gordon paid tribute to both countries following a meeting earlier this week between their military leaders in Djibouti.

His comments were contained in a statement released by the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) after the 16th Military Coordination Commission (MCC) meeting.

UNMEE said the meeting had included a "detailed discussion" on the increasing number of newly-laid mines exploding in the 25 km-wide buffer zone between the two countries.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are looking at issuing a joint statement to try and stop new mines being laid, UNMEE added at a weekly video-linked press briefing in the two capitals.

The move came as Eritrea's Brigadier-General Abrahaley Kifle accused Ethiopia of laying mines in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ).

But an Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman dismissed the accusations as baseless. "The claim is totally false," the spokesman said in a statement on Friday. "This is completely groundless and Ethiopia completely denies these allegations."

UNMEE spokeswoman Gail Bindley Taylor Sainte told the briefing the mission did not know who was laying mines in the TSZ.

She also said the peace process was on track, despite the increasing war of words between the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments as demarcation of the common border approaches.

Ethiopia says it has given the US overflight and landing rights in the war against Iraq.

Ethiopian television quoted a senior foreign ministry official as saying this was in accordance with requests by the US. He said Ethiopia had no plans to deploy troops.

"The US has been Ethiopia's friend and ally," the official was quoted as saying. He added that there was strong cooperation between the two countries "in fighting international terrorism which is Ethiopia's major national security preoccupation".

Eritrea's foreign ministry meanwhile said it backed the war against Iraq, but was "not involved".

The two Horn of Africa neighbours, which were embroiled in a bitter two-year border war from 1998-2000, are the only African countries so far to join President George W Bush's "coalition of the willing".

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Military leaders to meet in Djibouti"

Military leaders from Ethiopia and Eritrea were due to meet in Djibouti on Wednesday as the war of words over border demarcation intensifies.

The talks, part of the regular Military Coordination Commission (MCC) meetings held under UN auspices, come amid growing tension between the two sides with border demarcation just over three months away.

Senior sources close to the peace process said the MCC meetings are vital in ensuring the momentum of the process. But, they added, they expected little headway to be made at the day-long talks in Djibouti given the current frosty relations.

Last April, an independent Boundary Commission issued a "final and binding" decision on the new border between the two countries following their 1998-2000 war. But lately Ethiopia has been seeking changes to the border line and Eritrea has warned of the possibility of renewed war unless the issue is addressed.

Brigadier-General Yohannes Gebremeskel is expected to lead Ethiopia's military team to this 16th MCC meeting, while Eritrea's delegation will be headed by Brigadier-General Abrahaley Kifle. The MCC meetings resumed in December after a seven-month delay.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are to play a role in the disarmament of Iraq, according to the US government.

They will join 28 other countries who have agreed to be coalition members, the US said. The list of countries was released by the State Department on Tuesday.

"These are countries who have all stood up and said it is time to disarm Iraq and if Iraq doesn't do that peacefully, we need to be prepared to do it by whatever means are necessary," US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told a White House briefing.

"Each country is contributing in the ways that it deems the most appropriate," Boucher added. He said a further 15 unnamed countries had also pledged support.

So far, Ethiopia and Eritrea are the only African countries to have joined the coalition forces. There has been no public comment from either country and it is unclear what role they will play.

Boucher said some countries may be "providing access, basing, or overflight rights". Others were helping with defensive equipment.

"Some of these people are what you might call boots on the ground, in terms of providing military support or deploying defensive military units," he said.

The town of Badme "has been Eritrean and will remain so", Eritrea's Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed stated in an open letter to the British Broadcasting Corporation released on Tuesday.

The letter accused the BBC's World Service of broadcasting information that was "downright dangerous and unprofessional".

In particular, Eritrea took issue with an "erroneous and far-fetched statement" by the BBC that "tens of thousands died in the two-and a half-year [border] war that started when Eritrean forces occupied Ethiopian administered Badme on May 1998".

The minister pointed to the April 2002 border ruling issued by an independent boundary commission which "asserts that Badme is in Eritrea" and therefore Eritrean forces could not have invaded their own territory.

The Eritrea=Ethiopian Boundary Commission recently accused Ethiopia of seeming to undermine the peace process by seeking "variations" to the delimited border line. Ethiopian officials, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, have recently indicated they may not accept the ruling if Badme - where the border conflict flared up - is awarded to Eritrea.

The minister's letter also took issue with the line of questioning by BBC reporter Robin White in a recent interview with Meles.

White asked the Ethiopian premier if he regretted "not having marched on Asmara or at least having taken the port of Assab when you could have done?", comments described by Ali Abdu as "equally far-fetched and off the wall".

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Security Council urges cooperation with border commission"

The UN Security Council has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to accept an independent ruling on demarcation of their common boundary.

In a resolution, adopted on Friday, the 15-nation council also approved a six-month extension of the UN peacekeeping mission's (UNMEE) mandate, until 15 September.

Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have mounted in the past week as Ethiopian leaders have indicated that Ethiopia may not accept a ruling made by the Boundary Commission last April demarcating the border between the two countries.

These indications led the Boundary Commission to chastise Ethiopia last week for trying to change the ruling.

Furthermore Eritrea's foreign minister, Ali Said Abdella, warned in a letter submitted to the Security Council last week that Eritrea may be plunged into yet another war with Ethiopia if the latter were allowed to "flaunt international law" and reject last year's border ruling.

The two-year border war, which left at least 70,000 dead, ended with the signing of a peace accord in December 2000, in which both countries agreed that the commission's decision on the border would be final and binding.

Yet Ethiopia sent a 141-page document to the commission in January which "amounted to an attempt to reopen the substance of the April Decision", the Commission stated in its recent report the Security Council.

Last week, Secretary General Kofi Annan lauded the two countries for their cooperation, but added that "it is now time for them to translate their commitments into real action on the ground, namely, implementation of the 13 April 2002 delimitation decision". Annan also said in his report that "efforts to reopen fundamental matters already settled through binding arbitration could only be counterproductive".

In its resolution, the Security Council expressed its full support for the Boundary Commission's work and urged the two countries to "cooperate fully and promptly" with the Commission.

It also urged them to refrain from unilateral troop or population shifts, including the establishment of any new settlements near the border, until after demarcation is completed.

Eritrea's foreign minister has warned that his country may be plunged into another war with Ethiopia if the latter is allowed to "flaunt international law" and reject last year's border ruling.

In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, Ali Said Abdella accused Ethiopia of a "litany of obstructions" to impede the border demarcation exercise, due to begin later this year.

In April 2002, an independent border commission issued its decision on boundary delimitation between the two countries following their destructive border war from 1998-2000. According to the Algiers peace accord of December 2000, which officially ended the war, the sides agreed that any border ruling would be "final and binding". Both countries claim to have been awarded the now-symbolic village of Badme, where the conflict erupted in May 1998.

But the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) recently accused Ethiopia of "appearing to undermine" the decision by seeking variations to the delimited border line.

In his letter, Ali Said warned that "recent developments may unravel the whole peace process and plunge my country into another needless war".

"The disturbing fact is that Ethiopia has publicly stated, through its highest authorities, that it will not accept the delimitation decision of the Boundary Commission," he said.

He said neither side had obtained everything it wanted in the ruling, noting that "substantial Eritrean territory" was given to Ethiopia.

"But both parties are bound by it, and there can be no question now of it being re-opened, which would amount to unravelling the whole process," he stated.

"Ethiopia's provocative public pronouncement that it may eventually reject the Boundary Commission's Decision, coupled with its recent legal submission to the Boundary Commission to re-open the litigation, is thus a recipe for conflict and war," he warned.

He called for "preventive measures" by the Security Council and said the "enormous resources" invested by the international community in bringing about peace should not go to waste.

"These endeavours and the efforts of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, which has been a resounding success so far, should not be squandered at the last hour because of Ethiopia's desire to flaunt international law in defiance of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council."

The Security Council should send a "firm and unequivocal message" that Ethiopia must abide by the border ruling "or face serious consequences", he said.

IRIN

The Article: "Ethiopia "jeopardising" peace process, says Asmara"

Eritrea has warned that the entire peace process with Ethiopia could be in danger following recent calls by Addis Ababa for changes to their common border which was delimited last year.

According to the BBC, Ethiopia's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tekeda Alemu said recently the independent Boundary Commission had promised that demarcations could be refined. Tekeda also said he could not believe that "any person in his right mind" could award the disputed village of Badme - where the two countries' border conflict flared up in 1998 - to Eritrea. Both countries claim to have been awarded the now-symbolic village.

Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed told IRIN on Thursday that Ethiopia's comments would "jeopardise not only the April decision but the whole peace process".

In April 2002, the Boundary Commission issued its decision on the new border which both countries accepted as "final and binding".

"It is time for the international community to say to Ethiopia - enough is enough," Ali told IRIN. He noted that the ruling was final and binding and that talk about "refinements" to the border were "complete fabrication".

"The Ethiopians are doing this for internal political consumption," he said. "They want to divert attention from their internal political problems. It has nothing to do with border demarcation. People have to ask why raise this issue now, when they had earlier accepted the ruling and said they were happy with it."

The minister added that according to the Algiers peace agreement signed by the two countries in December 2000, the UN could take action against any side which violated the accord. On Tuesday, Eritrea sent a letter to the UN Security Council regarding Ethiopia's stance, he said.

An official of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), which is based in The Hague, told IRIN he could not comment on the Ethiopian minister's remarks. But he reiterated that the ruling was final and binding "as the parties have agreed and recognised on several occasions".

A recent EEBC report accused Ethiopia of "appearing to undermine" the peace process by seeking variations to the delimited border line. Physical demarcation of the border is due to start later this year, and according to the latest EEBC timetable should be completed by November.

Ethiopia has stated that the border should be varied to "take better account of human and physical geography".

However, the EEBC has said that while it may be "regrettable, it is by no means unusual for boundary delimitation and subsequent demarcation to divide communities".

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Border commission accuses Ethiopia of undermining peace"

The independent boundary commission has accused Ethiopia of "appearing to undermine" the peace process with Eritrea by seeking variations to the delimited border line.

In its latest report, the Hague-based Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) noted that both sides had been invited to put forward "technical" comments on the finalised border map, which was submitted to the parties in December.

It noted that Ethiopia's response went "far beyond the scope" of comments on the map. "The main thrust of the Ethiopian comments is that the boundary should be varied so as to take better account of human and physical geography," the report stated.

The ruling on the new border between the two countries was issued by the EEBC on 13 April 2002, in a decision deemed "final and binding", and which both Ethiopia and Eritrea agreed to abide by in the Algiers peace agreement of December 2000. The peace accord put an end to a bitter two-year border war, sparked by a skirmish in the village of Badme which has now become symbolic for both countries. Addis Ababa and Asmara both claim they have been awarded Badme and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned recently there would be "problems" if the village went to Eritrea.

In its report, the EEBC stressed it did not have the power to change the April decision and vary the border. The only way this could be considered was with the agreement of both parties, it said.

"Notwithstanding the clarity with which the Commission has stated the limits upon its authority, Ethiopia has continued to seek variations to the boundary line delimited in the April Decision, and has done so in terms that appear, despite protestations to the contrary, to undermine not only the April Decision but also the peace process as a whole," the report stated.

"It may be regrettable, but it is by no means unusual, for boundary delimitation and subsequent demarcation to divide communities," it noted.

The Commission expressed "disquiet" over statements made by Ethiopia that it "will not adhere to the April Decision if its claim to 'refinement' of the April Decision delimitation is not accepted".

The report also expressed concern over protection of Commission personnel involved in the demarcation process and urged the UN peacekeeping force (UNMEE) to support any protection given by Ethiopia and Eritrea.

"It hardly needs saying that any assault on Boundary Commission personnel would likely lead to an immediate withdrawal of such personnel, the cessation of the demarcation process and the consequent frustration of the whole boundary demarcation process," it warned.

According to the latest timetable issued by the Commission, the physical positioning of the border pillars is set to begin in July in the eastern sector.

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Annan recommends extending UN mission's mandate"

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended extending the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE) - due to expire this month - until 15 September.

In his latest progress report on the situation in the two countries, he noted there had been some problems with the peace process although he expressed confidence that it would continue to move forwards.

Stressing that the process was now at a "critical stage", he urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to "translate their commitments into real action on the ground", by implementing the border decision issued last April by an independent boundary commission.

The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) has expressed concern over what it says are Ethiopia's attempts to "vary" the border. Ethiopia has stated that better account should be taken of human and physical geography in the border region, but the EEBC has accused Addis Ababa of "appearing to undermine" the peace process.

Annan said he shared the Commission's concerns and called on the leaders of both countries to "exercise the same statesmanship and flexibility" which had enabled the peace process to take root.

He noted that Ethiopia's leaders had told his Special Representative, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, of their concerns regarding demarcation. He said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had stressed his country's commitment to peace and the Algiers accord, but had warned that if Ethiopia's concerns were not addressed, it "might eventually reject the demarcation-related decisions of the Commission".

Annan said completion of border demarcation was scheduled for November and urged the international community not to be "complacent". "I am confident that the international community would be ready to alleviate the hardships or disruption that inevitably result from any demarcation exercise," he said.

He also appealed for more funds to allow the demarcation process to end on schedule, as well as to ease the devastating drought affecting both countries.

See also ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=32721">Border commission accuses Ethiopia of undermining peace

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Peace 'unravelling', says Eritrea's ruling party"

Eritrea's ruling party has warned that peace with Ethiopia is "unravelling" and accused Addis Ababa of "sabotaging" implementation of an independent border ruling.

A commentary, posted on the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) Shaebia website, said it had become "starkly clear" that Ethiopia had refused to accept the April 2002 border decision, issued by the independent Boundary Commission, based in The Hague.

Under the terms of the December 2000 peace accord, following their two-year border war, Ethiopia and Eritrea agreed to accept the ruling as "final and binding".

"Ethiopia has not only rejected in practice the boundary decision, it is wilfully and systematically sabotaging its implementation," the Shaebia commentary said.

It warned the international community that "appeasing" Ethiopia "can only undermine peace".

"Even as it hopes that international action will stop the unravelling of the peace, Eritrea owes it to its people to temper its restraint with vigilance," Shaebia said. "Anything else would be inexcusable."

As demarcation - due to being in May - approaches, both countries have been stepping up their war of words, particularly over the disputed village of Badme where the border conflict flared up. In a recent interview with the BBC, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said there would be "problems" if Badme went to Eritrea.

IRIN

The Article: "Eritrea-Ethiopia: Sides urged to keep up peace momentum"

Eritrea and Ethiopia have been urged to keep up the momentum of the peace process, two months before demarcation of their common border is due to take place, diplomatic sources told IRIN on Tuesday.

Both the European Union and the US handed over a diplomatic note, known as a demarche, to the two countries. Both sides have been stepping up their war of words recently as demarcation approaches.

"We just want to make sure that eyes are firmly focused on the peace process," one senior diplomat close to the peace process told IRIN. "We do not want to rock the boat, but we want to ensure that both Ethiopia and Eritrea fully realise that the goal here is peace and it is not worth losing sight of that."

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea have publicly committed themselves to a peace deal - signed in December 2000 after a devastating two-year border war - which states that an independent border ruling issued in April 2002 is "final and binding".

The double demarches were handed over last month and come after a two-day high-level meeting in London between the two sides, hosted by the independent Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC). Ethiopia was reported to have issued a lengthy document, seeking further "clarification" of the ruling.

MOST ETHNO-NET AFRICA DATABASE

AFRICA / AFRIQUE