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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: UN tells sides to normalise ties

NAIROBI, 18 July 2003 (IRIN) - The UN Security Council has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to normalise relations and cooperate fully with the upcoming demarcation of their common border.

In a statement, read by Council President Ambassador Inocencio Arias of Spain, the 15-member body expressed concern over delays in the demarcation process.

"Delays would be contrary to the wish of both parties to achieve lasting peace and stability as manifested in the Algiers agreement," it said.

The Algiers peace accord of December 2000 officially ended a bitter two-year border war between the countries and provided for an independent ruling on the border which both sides accepted as "final and binding". But Ethiopia is unhappy with aspects of the ruling by an independent Boundary Commission, and the starting date for demarcation has been repeatedly postponed.

The statement called upon the two countries "to pursue any matters that might arise in connection with the implementation of the Boundary Commission delimitation decision" within the provisions of the accord.

The Council issued its statement on Thursday after the Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, presented the latest situation report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Council members expressed serious concern over "outstanding issues", such as restrictions on the freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers and the continuing absence of direct high-altitude flights for the UN between Asmara and Addis Ababa.

"The Security Council regrets the absence of political contacts between the parties," the statement said. "It believes that political dialogue between the two countries is crucial for the success of the peace process and the consolidation of progress made thus far.

"The Council calls on both parties to normalise their relationship through political dialogue, including confidence-building measures such as holding alternating meetings of the Military Coordination Commission (MCC) in each other’s capital."

The MCC meetings, held under the auspices of the UN, currently represent the only direct contact between the two sides by bringing together top level military officials, but have yet to be held in the countries themselves.

Both sides have indicated that while they will not resume hostilities, a normalisation of relations is unlikely.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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