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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ERITREA: Envoy recalled from AU over border dispute

ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI, 20 November 2003 (IRIN) - Eritrea withdrew its Ethiopia-based ambassador from the African Union (AU) on Thursday in protest over the unresolved border dispute between the two countries.

According to a foreign ministry statement, the government expressed indignation over the AU's "failure to adhere to its own charter and enforce its own treaties". The AU is one of the guarantors of the 2000 Algiers peace agreement which officially ended the border war between the sides.

Eritrea said the AU should be "putting pressure or taking disciplinary action" against Ethiopia, which Asmara accuses of violating the peace accord. Ethiopia has rejected elements of an independent boundary ruling which places the village of Badme - where the war flared up - in Eritrea. Demarcation of the border has now been put on hold indefinitely.

"It is hard to understand why the AU, which is based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, prefers to keep silent and act irresponsibly," the Eritrean statement said. "In such a situation, the Eritrean government, with deep regret, has no option but to withdraw its ambassador from the AU."

Desmond Orjiako, spokesman for the African Union, said he was unable to comment because they had not received official confirmation from the Eritrean government.

But senior sources within the AU expressed surprise at the move and insisted they were playing a key role in helping to resolve the crisis.

One official told IRIN that an AU delegation was currently attending talks in London held by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) on overcoming the demarcation impasse.

"We are playing a positive role in the peace process," said the official. "Everyone is telling the Ethiopians to respect the ruling but we cannot force them. And there is no point implementing the ruling if it leads to another war."

But Eritrea has been growing increasingly frustrated over what it views as the international community's failure to put pressure on Ethiopia to abide by the ruling, which both sides agreed would be final and binding.

Earlier this year Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara citing financial reasons.

Eritrea's Ambassador Salih Omar, who is still in the Ethiopian capital, was unavailable for comment. A spokesman for the Ethiopian government also declined to comment on the move.

Gail Bindley Taylor Sainte, spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping force (UNMEE), said earlier that diplomatic efforts had intensified to help try and resolve impasse.

She also told journalists in a video-linked press conference between Asmara and Addis Ababa on Thursday that militarily the border region remained calm and stable.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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