Nigeria to mediate in Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 4, 2004 (Addis Tribune) — Nigeria has initiated moves to intervene in the lingering row between Ethiopia and Eritrea as the current chair of the African Union (AU), Nigerian presidential spokesperson Oluremi Oyo said last week.

Briefing reporters on the details of Nigerian President Obasanjo’s visit to Algeria, Oyo said Obasanjo had initiated a discussion on the sidelines of the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad) implementation committee meeting in Algiers with the leaders of the two countries.

” The Nigerian president met with for more than two hours Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi,” she said.

She added, Obasanjo, who is also current chairman of the African Union, had mandated the foreign ministers of Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria to proceed to Addis Ababa on Wednesday to continue with the effort to end the tension between the two countries.

There had been increased tension along the borders of the two countries since Ethiopia was split into two to create Eritrea in 1991.

A demilitarized zone demarcated by the United Nations still remains a major issue of concern between the two countries.

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service