REVIEW OF PEACE PROCESS 2002

The year 2002 marked a significant stage in the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace process with the announcement of a new border between the two countries, and demarcation expected to take place this year. A border dispute in the Badme area in May 1998 flared up into a full-blown war which lasted for two years. There were thousands of deaths on both sides, both military and civilian, and many more people displaced. The aftermath of the war is still reverberating as intense reconstruction efforts are now underway. In June 2000, the sides signed a cessation of hostilities agreement which led to a full-blown peace accord signed in Algiers in December of that year. The June accord paved the way, in September 2000, for establishing a UN peacekeeping force (the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea - UNMEE) to monitor and patrol a 25 km wide buffer zone between the two countries. "FINAL AND BINDING DECISION" An uneasy peace has held since December 2000, although both sides have continued their war of words. But in keeping with Algiers accord, an independent border commission based at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, issued a "final and binding" decision on 13 April stating where the border would fall. Both sides gained and lost territory, but the wrangling continued over who had been awarded the controversial and now symbolic village of Badme, with each country claiming it had gone to them. Ethiopia immediately announced it had been awarded all the territory it claimed, including Badme. Eritrea's response came later and was more muted. Asmara said it had been "vindicated" by the decision which it described as a "victory for both peoples". The reality of where Badme lies will become apparent this year, when physical demarcation of the border is due to begin. Both sides said however that they accepted the ruling - a condition of the Algiers accord.

the new border

The lead-up to the border ruling was marked by intensified diplomatic activity. From 20-25 February, all 15 members of the UN Security Council, in an unprecedented move, visited the two countries and obtained pledges from both leaders that they would move the peace process forward. In the same month, religious leaders from both countries held an historic meeting in Addis Ababa, to be followed soon after by a similar meeting in Asmara. The year was clouded by continued bickering over the border. After the UN took a group of journalists to Badme via Asmara, Ethiopia temporarily closed the border to UN peacekeepers. In May, Addis Ababa came under fire from Eritrea for "essentially contesting" the border ruling after it called for "clarification" of the Boundary Commission's decision. Two months later, the Commission rejected Ethiopia's request as "inadmissible". Furthermore, it called on Ethiopia to stop settling its citizens in a small village on Eritrean territory, an issue that is still dogging relations between the two countries. MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION However events seemed to be moving in the right direction with the slow, but regular, release of prisoners-of-war by both countries in compliance with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). By December, both countries had freed all POWs and civilian detainees. Demining activities - a prerequisite for border demarcation to take place - suffered a setback when the Eritrean government in September ordered most international demining organisations to leave the country, accusing them of not working quickly enough. The government set up its own demining authority to carry out the bulk of the work. In August, UNMEE's mandate was changed to include mine clearance ahead of border demarcation. In October, the UNMEE force commander Major General Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands ended his tour of duty amid accusations of bias by Ethiopia. He was replaced by Major General Robert Gordon of Britain, who listed his priorities as stabilising and securing the situation along the border to enable the Boundary Commission to carry out its work. As the year drew to a close, politics were pushed into the background by a devastating drought which gripped both countries. In Ethiopia, 11 million people were said to be at risk, while in Eritrea over two thirds of the population were facing food shortages. In a report to the Security Council at the end of the year, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed concern over the impact of the drought on the peace process and urged the international community to support humanitarian operations in both countries to avoid further suffering. He said the peace process was progressing steadily "despite delays and difficulties", noting it was now about to enter the crucial phase of border demarcation, with all its legal, humanitarian and human rights implications. OUTLOOK FOR 2003

the 'Shida' monument in Asmara

Links: ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Interview with new UNMEE commander, Maj Gen Robert Gordon ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Interview with outgoing UNMEE commander Maj Gen Patrick Cammaert ERITREA: Focus - US-Eritrea military ties ERITREA: Interview with Yemane Gebreab, PFDJ political boss ERITREA: Feature - Life slowly resuming in Tserona ERITREA: Rehabilitation reversing trail of destruction ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Life goes on as normal in disputed Badme ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Interview with boundary expert Martin Pratt on border ruling ETHIOPIA: Symbol of hope in the ruins of Zalambessa