Addis claims "victory" over border request

Ethiopia has expressed satisfaction over the response of an independent Boundary Commission to its request for a review of the ruling on the border with Eritrea, issued earlier this year. In a statement on Tuesday, the Ethiopian foreign ministry said the reply of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), which is based in The Hague, allowed for "further discussion" of the border issue. On 13 May, a month after the EEBC announced its border decision, Ethiopia submitted a "Request for Interpretation, Correction and Consultation". It claimed that mistakes had been made in identifying geographical features and in the demarcation of rivers. But the Commission this week rejected Ethiopia's request as "inadmissible" and said no further action would be taken. However, it added that the request would be kept on record and "some of these matters may be considered further during the demarcation". Regional analysts suggest this could indicate the matter is not yet closed. Following the 13 April ruling by the Commission, both sides claimed they had been awarded the disputed village of Badme where their bloody two-year border war erupted in May 1998. In its statement, the Ethiopian foreign ministry said the government had urged the Commission to "avoid any action that could divide towns or villages". It called on the Commission to be "consistent" in its use of standards that would determine on which side of the border certain areas lie. "Ethiopia pointed out that the Commission's interpretation of such standards could affect the demarcation of the boundary, and must be defined in a technically correct manner," it added. "This decision from the Boundary Commission president, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, is an important victory for the government and people of Ethiopia, as it provides for ongoing discussions on several important issues," the foreign ministry statement said. It added that "further clarity" was needed for the upcoming demarcation phase. Eritrea on Wednesday dismissed Ethiopia's remarks. "The EEBC has made it clear that the Ethiopian request is inadmissible," Eritrea's deputy ambassador to Kenya, Teweldemedhin Tesfamariam, told IRIN. "To hear the Ethiopian government saying that it has scored a victory is a classic example of them pulling the wool over the eyes of their people and the world," he said.