UN to lift Horn embargo

Thousands have been killed in the border war

The United Nations Security Council is expected to lift an eight-month-old arms embargo on Ethiopia and Eritrea, despite concerns that such a move could be premature, diplomats said on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Singapore, this month's council president, confirmed that a meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday to discuss a draft resolution to remove the embargo unconditionally.

The United States sponsored the draft, but it has been reported that several council members will abstain in the vote.

However, diplomats have commented that, since none of the permanent members is opposed, it is likely that the resolution will be adopted.

The arms embargo "will not be there by the weekend," said Ethiopia's UN ambassador, Abdulmejid Hussein, on Tuesday.

Ceasefire

The arms embargo was imposed in May 2000 following renewed fighting in the border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Tens of thousands of soldiers had died in intermittent fighting since May 1998.

Its purpose was to force the warring parties to immediately cease all military action, withdraw from military engagement, and resume peace talks.

Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a comprehensive peace agreement in Algiers on 12 December.

Tensions remain

At the time, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the peace agreement as "a positive story for Africa which ends the year with a story of peace".

But the two sides have not fully disengaged their forces, and, in a letter to the Security Council on Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accused Eritrea of seeking to renegotiate the Algiers agreement.

One diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that those against lifting the embargo believed that the US was trying to force the pace before President Bill Clinton leaves office on 20 January.