? wrote:
Thanks RunDaddy. How far back does the border dispute go? Is either party in the right?
Well, it's not really a border dispute, that's the problem. There are areas of the border in dispute, but the fundamental source of conflict is what I would describe as a Tigrayan civil war.
In the 1980s both Meles Zenawi (current Ethiopian PM) and Isaias Afwerki (current Eritrean president) fought in the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) against then Ethiopian Marxist strongman Haile Mengistu (Amharic). Eritrea did not exist at the time (except in the sense that the area that is now Eritrea was roughly the area of the Italian colony of Eritrea). From what I have read, Meles and Isaias are basically the same ethnic group (Tigray), although for reasons I don't fully understand the Eritreans are often referred to as Tigrinya. Somewhere along the way, Meles's group (Tigray) and Isaias's group (Tigrinya) had a falling out, although I think they always had some big differences and cooperated against Mengistu out of necessity. The only time I have met Meles, in May of 06, he referred to Isaias and his inner circle as "my cousins in Asmara." In fact, at one point he said "my crazy cousin."
After Mengistu fell in 1991, the Tigray swept into power. Again, for reasons I don't fully unerstand, the Tigray allowed the question of whether the Tigrinya should have their own country be put to a UN sponsored referendum. It passed overwhelmingly, and in 1993 Eritrea was born and Ethiopia no longer had access to the Red Sea. Relations between the two countries were relatively calm initially, but started to deteroriate by the mid 90s over a variety of issues (such as a dispute over currency). By 1998 tensions were high when an inadvertant border clash sparked a full blown war. After two years of fighting, Ethiopia had the upper hand and had pushed into Eritrea territory when a ceasfire was finally arranged and the TSZ was established (all in Eritrean territory).
Between the ceasfire (June of 2000) to the signing of the Algiers Accord in December 2000, the two sides (with the U.S. and I believe the EU) worked out modalities for resolving the disputed border areas. Chief among these was the establishment of the Eritrean-Ethiopian Border Commission (EEBC), whose findings both sides agreed to be 'final and binding.' In April 2002, the EEBC issued its findings (based mostly on the last internationally recognized border - that of the Italian colony in 1906). One of the key flashpoints on the border is the town of Badme. At first, Ethiopia's representative in Brussels misunderstood the EEBC's findings and reported back to Addis that Ethiopia had been awarded Badme. But, in fact, Eritrea had been awarded Badme. Well, the Ethiopians immediately began stalling tactics, asking for further clarification, etc.. before actual demarcation could begin. Ethiopia currently occupies Badme and claims the 1906 border would cut right through neighborhoods, schoolyards, churches, etc... That is essentially the stalemeate we're in today, except the UN mission that was assigned by the UNSC to monitor the border and facilitate demarcation has been essentially kicked out by Eritrea.
Eritrea gave up several islands to Yemen after losing another international legal battle in the 1990s. So from their perspective, they played by the rules on Yemen and gave up teritory, but now the International Community has refused to force Ethiopia to honor its commitment under Algiers. That's what really pisses them off. Couple that with the widely held view that Isaias is in fact a little crazy and certainly very cruel.
That's the broad brush on this conflict. I'm sure our Ethiopian friends on this board can fill in some colorful commentary.