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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Dialogue on border issue "unthinkable", says Eritrea

NAIROBI, 12 May 2003 (IRIN) - Eritrea has rejected any notion of a dialogue regarding the border issue with Ethiopia, saying the matter is closed and "hermetically sealed".

Acting Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed told IRIN on Monday his government wanted to put an end to rumours circulating that there could be a dialogue on the border issue. Ethiopia has been unhappy over an independent border ruling, which specifically puts the town of Badme - flashpoint of the two-year border war between the countries - in Eritrea.

Addis Ababa has been seeking a review of the ruling and Ethiopian officials have indicated they may not accept the decision, which both sides agreed in their December 2000 peace agreement would be final and binding.

In a statement read out to IRIN, Ali Abdu said the border decision issued by the Boundary Commission on 13 April 2002 "made it crystal clear that the case was put to rest once and for all".

Since that date, the Boundary Commission has issued a series of reports rejecting Ethiopia's request for "variations" to the border line.

Ali Abdu said it was "unequivocally unacceptable" to "concoct new notions on the pretext of dialogue and leeway search, as if the Boundary Commission rulings are not exhausted".

"As this logic is simply just wishful thinking and the whims of the unconvinced, they should be aware that final means binding," he said. "This is a very serious matter, there is no dialogue to be carried out on this issue on our part."

"The chapter is closed and hermetically sealed," he stated. "Innuendos that dialogue is underway regarding the matter are sheer and blatant lies. As far as Eritrea is concerned, the matter is sacrosanct and airtight in its finality."

Ali Abdu told IRIN that dialogue of any kind was "unthinkable". "The case was put to rest on 13 April," he stressed.

Themes: (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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