Ceasefire signed in border war

Eritrea and Ethiopia have signed a peace accord aimed at ending their two-year-old border war.

Under the agreement, which was drawn up by the Organisation of African Unity, the United Nations is to deploy peacekeepers throughout a twenty-five kilometre buffer zone to monitor a ceasefire.

The force will also supervise the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean land which they've captured.

A BBC correspondent says the deployment of the UN force could take months and until they arrive, the Ethiopian army says it will continue to occupy large areas of Eritrea seized in its recent offensive.

Our correspondent adds that the continued presence of Ethiopian troops will concern many Eritreans and will not help the search for a comprehensive peace settlement to the largest conventional war of recent times.

Tens of thousands of Eritreans and Ethiopians have died, and many more have been driven from their homes during the conflict.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service