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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Eritrea says Meles' remarks "disdainful"

NAIROBI, 17 October 2003 (IRIN) - Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of "disdain" following Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's latest comments about the ruling on the common border between the countries.

Speaking at the opening of the Ethiopian parliament on Thursday, Meles described the independent Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) which ruled on the border dispute with Eritrea as “null and void”. He said implementation of the contested border ruling would only escalate already heightened tensions between the neighbouring countries.

"The problem is worsening ... and it could erupt at any time in a different form," he warned during his hour-long speech.

But Eritrea's acting Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed on Friday said Meles was being "disdainful towards his people" because he was "talking to the representatives of his people".

"The comments are tantamount to declaring war on the UN Security Council and the guarantors of the Algiers peace agreement," he told IRIN.

The Security Council has called on Ethiopia to implement the border ruling, as delivered by the EEBC. Meles had earlier written to the Council calling for a new body to rule on contested areas of the border.

Ethiopia is particularly unhappy over the decision which places the contested village of Badme - where the bitter two-year border war flared up - in Eritrea. Addis Ababa wants dialogue to try and resolve the issue, but Asmara has said it will talk only when the border has been demarcated in full.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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