Addis Ababa ( Agencies + DIPLOMAT.SO) – An Eritrean delegation called upon the African Union (AU) to push for the delimitation of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia at the 24th summit of the organization held in Addis Ababa from the 23rd through 31st of January.

The delegation, which was led by Eritrea’s permanent AU representative in Addis Ababa – Ambassador Araya Desta appeals for a full implementation of the decisions passed by the Eritrean and Ethiopian Boarder Commission and that the organization has to pressure Ethiopia to pull its troops from what has been declared as Eritrea’s sovereign territory.

The issue was raised and discussed during the consideration of the Report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.

According to the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter, Ethiopia responded to the call through its representative – the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs – Ambassador Berhane Gebrekristos saying that his country and Eritrea have to go back to the negotiating table for talks before the delimitation process.

Ambassador Gebrekristos also affirmed that his Prime Minister – Halemariam Desalegn is willing to travel to Asmara and talk with his Eritrean counterpart regarding the issue.

It is, however, proper and correct for dialogue to take place before an arbitration decision but Eritrea’s argument was, the call for ‘dialogue and bilateral talks’ by the party that is dissatisfied with the ‘final and binding’ arbitration decision must not be accepted and entertained.

Ambassador Gebrekristos, on the other hand, cited AU’s reluctant stance on Eritrea and the two sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council as indications of Eritrea’s noncompliance.

AU’s current revolving chairman – Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old President, Robert Mugabe heard the deliberations by the two countries and pleaded with them to avoid foreign intervention in dealing with their conflict.