OAU Proposal for an Agreement on Cessation of Hostilties Between
Ethiopia & Eritrea
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Organization of African Unity Signed June 18, 2000, Algiers, Algeria
Proposal of the OAU for an Agreement on
Cessation of Hostilities Between the Government of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the State of Eritrea
Having taken part in the Proximity Talks called by the Organization of African
Unity in Algiers from 29 May to 10 June 2000, under the Chairmanship of
Algeria the Current Chair of the OAU and with the participation of its
partners namely the United States and the European Union,
Committing themselves to the following principles:
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·
Resolution of the present crisis and any other dispute between
them through peaceful and legal means in accordance with the principles
enshrined in the charters of the OAU and the United Nations;
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·
Rejection of the use of force as a means of imposing solutions to
disputes;
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·
Respect for the borders existing at independence as stated in
resolution AHG/Res 16(1) adopted by the OAU Summit in Cairo in 1964 and, in
this regard, determine them on the basis of pertinent colonial treaties and applicable
international law, making use, to that end, of technical means to demarcate
the borders and, in case of controversy, resort to the appropriate mechanism
of arbitration;
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Reaffirming their acceptance of the OAU Framework Agreement and the Modalities
for its Implementation which have been endorsed by the 35th ordinary session
of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Algiers, Algeria
from 12 to 14 July 1999,
Taking into account the latest developments in this crisis,
Commit themselves to the following:
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1. 1 - Immediate
cessation of hostilities starting from the signature of this document. In
particular the two Parties agree to the following:
1- 1 cessation of all armed air and land attacks;
1- 2 guarantee of the free movement and access of the Peacekeeping Mission
and its supplies as required through the territories of the Parties;
1- 3 respect and protection of the members of the Peacekeeping Mission, its
installations and equipment.
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2. - A Peacekeeping
Mission shall be deployed by the United Nations under the auspices of the
OAU.
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3. - The mandate of the
Peacekeeping Mission shall be:
3-1 monitor the cessation of hostilities;
3-2 monitor the redeployment of Ethiopian troops;
3-3 ensure the observance of the security commitments agreed by the two
Parties in this document, in particular those provided for in paragraph 14;
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4. -The size and the
composition of the Peacekeeping Mission shall be adapted to the mission assigned
to it and shall be determined by the Secretaries General of the United
Nations and the OAU with the acceptance of the two Parties.
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5. -The Peacekeeping
Mission shall terminate when the delimitation-demarcation process of the
border has been completed.
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6. - A Military
Co-ordination Commission shall be established by the OAU and the United
Nations with agreement of the two Parties in order to facilitate the
functions of the Peacekeeping Mission. It shall be composed of
representatives of the two Parties and chaired by the leader of the
Peacekeeping Mission.
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7. - The mandate of the
Military Co-ordination Commission shall be to co-ordinate and resolve issues
relating to the implementation of the mandate of the Peacekeeping Mission as
defined in the present document. The Commission shall deal with military
issues arising during the implementation period.
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8. - Upon the signing of
the present document, both Parties shall conduct demining activities as soon
as possible with a view to creating the conditions necessary for the
deployment of the Peacekeeping Mission, the return of civilian administration
and the return of population as well as the delimitation and demarcation of
their common border. The Peacekeeping Mission, in conjunction with the United
Nations Mine Action Service, will assist the Parties' demining efforts by
providing technical advice and coordination. The Parties shall, as necessary,
seek additional demining assistance from the Peacekeeping Mission.
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9. - Ethiopia shall
submit redeployment plans for its troops from positions taken after 6
February 1999, and which were not under Ethiopian administration before 6 May
1998, to the Peacekeeping Mission. This redeployment shall be completed
within two weeks after the deployment of the Peacekeeping Mission and
verified by it.
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10. - In accordance with
the principle established in paragraph 3 of the Framework Agreement, it is
understood that the redeployment of Ethiopian forces will not prejudge the
final status of the contested areas, which will be determined at the end of
the delimitation and demarcation of the border and, if need be, through an
appropriate mechanism of arbitration.
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11. - Upon verification of
Ethiopian redeployment by the Peacekeeping Mission, Eritrean civilian
administration, including police and local militia, will be restored to
prepare for the return of the population.
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12. - In order to
contribute to the reduction of tension and to the establishment of a climate
of calm and confidence, as well as to create conditions conducive to a
comprehensive and lasting settlement of the conflict through the delimitation
and demarcation of the border, the Eritrean forces shall remain at a distance
of 25 km (artillery range) from positions to which Ethiopian forces shall
redeploy in accordance with paragraph 9 of this document. This zone of
separation shall be referred to in this document as the "temporary
security zone."
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13. - The Eritrean forces
at positions defined in paragraph 12 of this document, as well as Ethiopian
forces at positions defined in paragraph 9 of this document, shall be
monitored by the Peacekeeping Mission.
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14. - Ethiopia commits
itself not to move its troops beyond the positions it administered before 6
May 1998. Eritrea commits itself not to move its troops beyond the positions
defined in paragraph 12 above. The OAU and the United Nations commit
themselves to guarantee the respect for this commitment of the two Parties
until the determination of the common border on the basis of pertinent
colonial treaties and applicable international law, through
delimitation/demarcation and in case of controversy, through the appropriate
mechanism of arbitration. This guarantee shall be comprised of:
a) measures to be taken by the international community should one or both of
the Parties violate this commitment, including appropriate measures to be
taken under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter by the UN Security
Council;
b) actions
by the Peacekeeping Mission to monitor key and sensitive areas of the
temporary security zone through liaison officers at the division and
regimental levels with Ethiopian and Eritrean units deployed at key points
along the temporary security zone on their respective sides; regular patrols;
reconnaissance missions; and challenge inspections throughout the temporary
security zone coordinated through the Military Co-ordination Commission with
the participation of liaison officers of the Parties as decided by the
Chairman of the Military Co-ordination Commission;
c) deployment to and continuous monitoring by military units of the
Peacekeeping Mission at posts in key and sensitive positions within the
temporary security zone in order to monitor the implementation of the
commitments made by both Parties in paragraphs 9 and 12 of this document;
d) periodic technical verification of the temporary security zone to help
determine compliance with this document.
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15. 15 - Upon the
signature of the present document, the two Parties shall initiate separate
requests to the Secretaries General of the OAU and the United Nations, as
necessary, for assistance to implement this document.
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