UN voices concern over lack of progress in Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (AFP) — The UN Security Council on Monday voice “deep concern” over the lack of progress in implementing the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary commission and urged the two countries to enforce it.

After being briefed on the border situation, members of the 15-member council issued a statement noting “with deep concern the continued lack of progress in the implementation of the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.”

In a statement read to the press by the council president for this month, Greece’s UN envoy Adamantios Vassilakis, they urged “Ethiopia to accept fully and both sides to implement completely this decision.”

The two Horn of Africa neighbors fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. Under a peace accord in 2000, they promised to abide by the “final and binding” ruling on their border made by an independent boundary commission. But to this day, Ethiopia refuses to implement fully that ruling and demarcation has yet to begin.

Council members also called on both countries to “work toward a full normalization of their relations , including through talking to each other, as stipulated in resolution 1586 (of March 14, 2005).