Eritrea, Ethiopia's border spat

2003-09-23 19:10

Asmara - Eritrea accused neighbouring Ethiopia on Tuesday of violating international law by failing to accept a ruling on the boundary between the two countries drawn up by an independent commission last year.

Physical demarcation of the border between the two Horn of Africa neighbours, over which a war was fought from 1998 to 2000, was to have begun in May but has been put back twice following protests by Ethiopia over the border commission's ruling. It is now due to start next month.

Eritrea said Ethiopia is still claiming the village of Badme, the starting point of the war, despite the fact it was allotted to Eritrea by the commission.

The war was ended by an agreement signed in Algiers in December 2000 at which the belligerents agreed to arbitration by the border commission based in The Hague.

In a communique published by the Eritrean embassy in Washington, Eritrea said, "Ethiopia's rejection of the border commission's decision is a breach of international law."

By questioning the findings of the commission, which Eritrea has accepted, Ethiopia had threatened to undermine the entire peace process, the communique said.

- AFP