Fate of Eritrea-Ethiopia meeting on border row seems unclear

June 14, 2006 (ASMARA) — Arch-foes and Horn of Africa neighbours Ethiopia and Eritrea tussled Wednesday over the holding of a meeting to discuss their simmering border dispute, as the fate of the planned talks remained unclear.

Asmara said that it would not attend the meeting set for Thursday in The Hague in the Netherlands unless Addis Ababa agreed to the terms of a 2002 border ruling which it has repeatedly called to be reviewed.

“There will be a meeting on the basis of assurances from Ethiopia that it unequivocally accepts the boundary commission’s decision,” Yemane Gebremeskel, director of the president’s office, said.

“Eritrea has asked for clarification. If we get that assurance tomorrow, then a meeting will take place,” Yemane said.

But Ethiopia said that the meeting was called off because of Eritrea’s refusal to participate and regretted the move as “disappointing.”

“The meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled due to Eritrea’s refusal to participate,” a foreign affairs ministry official said in Addis Ababa.

“This is very disappointing. What appears is that what Eritrea wants is tension in the region and a boundary dispute. They don’t want to bring the process of demarcation forward, they are not interested in peace,” added the official.

Last month, the two countries blamed each otherfor the failure of talks held in London aimed at ending the deadlock over their tense border that many fear could spark a new war.

Ethiopia wants the border ruling to be reviewed as it awarded the flashpoint town of Badme to Eritrea, arguing it unfairly splits families and homes between the two countries.

Eritrea has rejected that stance, arguing that the demarcation is final and has loudly complained that the international community has not done enough to press Ethiopia to accept the decision.

“Fruitless meetings are not useful,” said Yemane, accusing the failure of the London talks on Ethiopia’s insistence on the review ofthe border ruling.

“At the last two meetings Ethiopia obstructed demarcation by asking for partial demarcation and changes in the ruling’s implementation. What is the point of talking about practical issues when Ethiopia is intransigent on its position?”

As a sign of frustration, Asmara slapped wide-ranging restrictions on the UN border mission there called UNMEE, restricting patrols, grounding helicopters flights as well as expelling all Western staff attached to the mission.

(ST)