US very concerned about Ethiopia-Eritrea border tension

Nov 3, 2005 (WASHINGTON) — The United States expressed deep concern Thursday over rising tension along the Ethiopian-Eritrean border and urged the east African nations’ governments to resolve differences through the United Nations.

“We are very concerned about the recent escalation in tensions along the border area between Ethiopia and Eritrea,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

“We are going to work closely with the UN on this issue,” McCormack told reporters.

The US spokesman said Washington was in contact with both governments “to underline the fact, in strong terms, that the way to resolve any political differences they may have … is through dialogue, working through the UN process.”

The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to send Japanese envoy Kenzo Oshima on a fact-finding tour of the region.

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace accord in 2000 ending a two-year war in which an estimated 80,000 people were killed over their mostly barren border.

The accord required both countries to accept a new border demarcation drawn up by an international panel, but the ruling has never been fully accepted by Ethiopia, which says it wants the border adjusted to avoid splitting up families.

Over the past three weeks, Eritrea and Ethiopia have re-positioned soldiers and armaments on the frontier, raising the risk of a new war.

(AFP/ST)