Eritreans back home after 8yrs
07/04/2006 12:43  - (SA)  

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Asmara - Some 6 000 war-displaced Eritreans will return to their villages, eight years after fleeing the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia, says a government newspaper.

Eritrea's secretive government had made no other official mention of the large-scale return and some aid workers privately said they expected the number of returnees to be even greater.

According to reports: "Approximately six thousand residents of Akran have been displaced from their villages, their properties looted and their houses destroyed.

"A government representative said that they are going back to their villages, where they can be independent and reminded them that they should make advance agricultural preparations before the harvest season."

More conflict feared

An estimated 1.1 million Eritreans were displaced by the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea - almost one third of the roughly 3.6 million population.

About 50 000 Eritreans were still not living in their original homes at the start of January.

Observers feared that more conflict was still possible because the two countries had not fixed their 1 000km border.

Outgoing United Nations mission chief Legwaila Joseph Legwaila said: "The stalemate has to be broken if you are to save these countries from another war. Unfortunately, the international community did not take it seriously."

In January, the United States announced a new diplomatic initiative, which resulted in a meeting in London between the two sides. The boundary commission was due to hold another meeting at the end of this month.

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