International Community warns Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Tension

International Community warns Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Tension
Addis Ababa (HAN) November 4, 2005 -The AU, EU, UN and International humanitarian Organizations urged former foes Ethiopia and Eritrea on Friday to exercise restraint following military movements near their disputed border, saying tensions created by the maneuvers could escalate into war. Diplomats in the region say new conflict would hurt a region that was once used as a base by al Qaeda and that continues to suffer drought and famine and the destabilizing effect of anarchy in Somalia.
The African Union statement echoed United Nations fears of renewed conflict between the two Horn of Africa neighbours who fought a two-year border war that ended in 2000 and killed 70,000 people. In the last two weeks, UN soldiers say they have observed military movements involving tanks, air defence missiles and troops near their unmarked 1,000 km (600 mile) long frontier. "This has the potential to escalate into a military confrontation with far-reaching implications for the two countries and the region as a whole," the AU said. It urged the two sides "to exercise restraint and to refrain from any action that could have the effect of further aggravating the situation". The 53-member AU, headquartered in Addis Ababa, also urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to cooperate with UN peacekeepers and allow it to effectively monitor a 25 km (15 miles) wide buffer zone. Last month Eritrea banned UN peacekeepers from flying over its airspace, cutting off aerial reconnaissance, medical evacuation and resupply lines. The move has reduced the United Nations' ability to monitor the border. Eritrea has been growing increasingly frustrated at the failure to implement a peace agreement with Ethiopia that was reached in December 2000. In that accord, both sides agreed to demarcate their border as decided by an independent commission. But when the commission made its ruling, deciding that the flashpoint town of Badme actually belonged to Eritrea, Ethiopia rejected the decision. After the wartime Allies expelled Eritrea's Italian colonial rulers in 1941, Britain took control of the region and eventually was assigned it as a UN trust territory. In 1952, the UN decided to federate Eritrea to Ethiopia, hoping to reconcile Ethiopian claims of sovereignty and Eritrean aspirations for independence. A decade later, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie dissolved the federation and annexed Eritrea, triggering a thirty year armed struggle in Eritrea. In 1991, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) captured the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and established a provisional government. HAN & Reuters
The Ethiopian government is looking all matters with utmost patience
Addis, November 4, 2005 - The Prime Minister of Ethiopia said the street violence "orchestrated by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD)" has been put "under control," the same day as violence spread outside the capital and killed four people. In a nationwide televised address, Meles said the CUD is "accountable" for the violence erupted Tuesday in the country's capital Addis Ababa. "The attempts by leaders of the CUD to divide the people along ethnic lines and create social isolation have failed," he said. "Though CUD leaders tried to agitate residents of the Addis Ababa city to join their violent acts, their attempts have failed," he said. However, police said in a statement Friday at least four people were killed and 11 wounded in northwest Ethiopia's Bahir Dar town on Friday, in deadly street violence between security forces and opposition demonstrators. Several policemen and soldiers also sustained wounds and physical injuries. Since Tuesday, CUD members and supporters took to the street over the contested results of the May 15 parliamentary election, leading to bloodshed between riot police and protesters in the country's capital Addis Ababa. At least 24 civilians and 7 police officers died in clashes, according to city police. Concerning the current situation with Eritrea, Meles said, "the Ethiopian government is looking all matters with utmost patience." However, he said, "the Ethiopian defense forces have all the necessary capability to foil any aggressive attempt from the Eritrean side." It is reported that there were military movements involving tanks, air defense missiles and troops near their unmarked 1,000 km-long frontier during the past two weeks. Earlier last month, Eritrea banned air patrols over a 25 km-long temporary security zone (TSZ) along the 1,000 km-long frontier. Eritrea's move increased concerns that the Red Sea state was trying to "cover up" troop redeployment to launch a "possible attack" against Ethiopia, diplomats here said