Horn peace: Ethiopia must let Boundary Commission do its job

Editorial

27 November 2004

The one and only cause for the stalled peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia is Ethiopia�s flagrant defiance of a legal verdict of an independent Boundary Commission (EEBC) that settled their border dispute conclusively and irrevocably, which both parties a priori agreed to be final, binding, and with no right to appeal or recourse. Eritrea accepts the border ruling without qualification, has paid its dues, and has appointed a field liaison.

With that in mind and in an attempt to move the peace process forward, the Security Council passed resolution 1531 (2004) of 12 March 2004 calling on Ethiopia to restate unequivocally its acceptance of the Boundary Commission�s decision, appoint field liaison officers and pay its dues to and otherwise cooperate fully and expeditiously with the Commission.

At this point, Ethiopia has pledged to pay its dues to the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission and has also agreed to appoint field liaisons. However, if Ethiopia indeed accepts the Boundary Commission�s ruling on shared border, then it must declare unequivocal acceptance of the Boundary Commission�s decision and let the Boundary Commission, the one and only authority on this matter, do its job. That is the only way to bring about demarcation and peace between the two countries. That is all Ethiopia needs and needed to do. Any other move including Ethiopia�s �bogus �five-point plan� of 26 Nov 2004 is fraud.

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