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Wednesday, 17 April, 2002, 11:24 GMT 12:24 UK
Controversy over Horn border ruling
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought for two years over the border
A propaganda war has broken out between Ethiopia and Eritrea over the outcome of an international tribunal decision over their disputed border.
At the heart of the controversy is the small town of Badme - the ownership of which sparked off one of the bloodiest wars of recent times. Each side says it has won control of the key western border town, adding to the confusion about the ruling. 'False hope' Ethiopia's Foreign Minister, Seyoum Mesfin, said the boundary commission had "unequivocally confirmed Badme to be the sovereign territory of Ethiopia".
But Eritrea insists it has been given control of the town. "Badme was and remains the sovereign territory of Eritrea, this has now been determined by the Ethiopia Eritrea Boundary Commission," said Saleh Omar, the Eritrean ambassador to the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa. Fine print The BBC's Martin Plaut, who has studied the 125-page document defining the border, says that, tucked away in the text, the legal experts make clear that they reject the Ethiopian claim and draw the border in such a way that Eritrea wins title to the town - if not the area that also bears its name. The independent commission, based in The Hague, drew up the new border between the two former foes, details of which were published at the weekend. None of the maps used in the ruling show the village of Badme - the same name is used to refer to the village, the plains and a district.
"Although we may not know officially until demarcation of the boundary has been completed, I think the Soviet maps - which both parties used in their pleadings - are sufficiently accurate to say with some confidence that Badme is in Eritrea," Mr Pratt told the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks news service. The BBC's Nita Bhalla in Addis Ababa says detailed satellite imagery is needed to determine the actual demarcation on the ground. Experts say this is a lengthy process, and Badme residents are likely to be in a state of confusion until physical demarcation is completed next year. Elsewhere along the border the Ethiopians have made substantial gains. Jubilation The BBC's Alex Last in Asmara says that people clapped and cheered, while drivers blared their horns in jubilation when state television and radio announced that Badme had been given to Eritrea. Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki said that he was "completely satisfied" with the ruling.
For his part, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said his government is satisfied with the ruling by the International Boundary Commission on its border with Eritrea. Mr Zenawi described the ruling as a victory for Ethiopia that would put an end to the bitter and violent dispute over the boundary. "The ruling vindicates Ethiopia's land claims," Meles told the state-run Ethiopia radio and television. "The decision of the boundary commission has awarded Ethiopia all the contested areas it had claimed." The boundary was decided by a five-member panel of judges, treaty experts and international jurists. Strained relations On 6 May 1998, a group of Eritrean soldiers attempted to enter Badme. It consists of little more than an administration building, complete with flagpole, surrounded by a handful of houses.
Eritrea, which has a population of 3.5 million compared to Ethiopia's 65 million, agreed to end hostilities in June 2000. A peace deal was signed six months later and set the terms for the border commission. But relations have remained strained and the United Nations has 4,200 peacekeepers patrolling a buffer zone around the disputed areas. Diplomats say tension is likely to remain between the two countries for some time. |
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