December 4, 2000
The government of Eritrea says it has agreed with Ethiopia on a final peace treaty to end their two-year border war, in which tens of thousands of people have been killed. Eritrea says the agreement, which was brokered by the United States and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), will be signed in Algiers on 12 December by the heads of state of the two countries. The Eritreans say that among the provisions are the establishment of a border commission and the release and exchange of thousands of prisoners held by the two countries. There has been no word yet from Ethiopia.
The two sides signed a ceasefire in June after Ethiopia had made considerable gains along the disputed border.
The United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, is due in the two capitals, Addis Ababa and Asmara, this week on a previously scheduled visit.
Border commission
The agreement establishes a neutral commission to demarcate the disputed border between the two countries. There will be two members from each country with an independent chairman. Both sides will submit claims to the UN cartographic unit and the commission will also take into account legal arguments.
The demarcation process will take up to six months to complete.
A 4,200-strong UN force is being deployed along the border to supervise the ceasefire.
Compensation, repatriation
Thousands of prisoners of war and other security detainees should be released and exchanged immediately under the terms of the agreement. The deal also includes provision for compensation for damaged or confiscated property.
The deal comes after four months of intensive international mediation efforts with diplomats shuttling between Addis Ababa and Asmara. The talks, mediated by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Algiers, were aimed at turning June's cease-fire agreement into a more comprehensive peace accord. Each side accused the other of intransigence and putting obstacles in the way of the peace process.
The two countries signed a "cessation of hostilities" in June which included undertakings to work towards a permanent ceasefire and a full peace accord.
In May Ethiopia had launched a major offensive into Eritrea as part of a long-running border dispute. Tens of thousands of people, most of them soldiers from both sides, were killed in the war and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.
