Peace process at "critical" stage says UN

The Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process is at a “critical” juncture with demarcation of the contested 1,000-kilometre border between the two countries just weeks away, the United Nations stated on Thursday. “Clearly this is an important time,” George Somerwill, deputy spokesman of the UN’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) told journalists at a video-linked press briefing between Asmara and Addis Ababa. “There are clearly a lot of meetings taking place and we can presume, a lot of people, the major players, are all talking to each other.” Somerwill added: “Obviously demarcation is an extremely important part of the whole process of bringing about peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia.” Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, head of the peacekeeping mission, is currently in the United States, where he is meeting top officials ahead of a Security Council meeting on Friday in New York, at which UNMEE’s mandate is expected to be extended for a further six months – until March 2004. During his visit Legwaila will meet US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Walter Kansteiner and other senior officials, UNMEE confirmed. UNMEE also re-iterated the role played by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is trying to secure peace between the two nations. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu, director of Legwaila’s office, said Annan was in “constant contact” with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki. “The Secretary-General is always involved in all peacekeeping missions,” she added during the press briefing. UNMEE also announced that Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby, a Special Envoy of Norway to Ethiopia and Eritrea, had arrived to focus on the peace process. Kolby visited both countries as head of a 15-strong Security Council mission in February 2002, two months before the boundary ruling was announced. But demarcation has so far been delayed twice. Originally scheduled to start in May, it was first put back to July, and then to October. It is to be completed within six months. Ethiopia is contesting elements of the ruling like a decision to place the now symbolic town of Badme in Eritrea and hand over parts of the Irob area. But diplomats say they now believe it can start in the eastern sector despite “enormous” pressures on the Ethiopian government from internal opposition to the ruling. UNMEE reiterated that it was working towards the schedule for demarcation, due to end in June 2004. “The planning is going ahead with the assumption that demarcation will go ahead,” the deputy spokesman added.