Military

DATE=2/21/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-286713

TITLE=ETHIOPIA / ERITREA (L ONLY)

BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A United Nations Security Council mission has left (Wednesday) for Eritrea and Ethiopia. The mission is part of the U-N's effort to show its commitment to peace between the once-warring neighbors on the Horn of Africa. Correspondent Michael Drudge has more from V-O-A's East Africa bureau in Nairobi.

TEXT: The U-N diplomats plan to spend three days visiting the capitals of Eritrea and Ethiopia and a buffer zone patrolled by three-thousand U-N peacekeepers.

The highlight of the trip will come Saturday, when the U-N envoys join Eritrean and Ethiopian officials at a peace ceremony at a bridge crossing the Mereb River on the border.

The U-N mission is led by Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby of Norway, which takes over the rotating presidency of the Security Council in March.

Mr. Kolby says the 15 nations on the Security Council want to show the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia their commitment to helping build a lasting peace.

Eritrea and Ethiopia went to war in 1998 over a border dispute. Tens of thousands of soldiers were killed, 300-thousand civilians fled their homes, and both sides suffered economic hardship.

The countries achieved a cease-fire in June of 2000, but a permanent settlement of their border dispute has been plagued by delays.

An international commission had been scheduled to release the final map delineating the border to coincide with the U-N mission's visit.

However, the map is now being held back until the end of March. The commission, based in The Hague, blames the delay on unspecified "technical reasons." Eritrea and Ethiopia have agreed to abide by the commission's ruling.

The U-N says another obstacle facing the region are thousands of uncleared land mines. (Signed).

NEB/MWD/KL/PT