From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon Aug 18 2008 - 15:48:42 EDT
Churches unhappy with closure of UN Ethiopia-Eritrea Mission
Author: CISA, Nairobi
Monday, August 18, 2008
African churches have expressed concern over the recent withdrawal of
United Nations mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE) before the
resolution of the boundary dispute between the two hostile Horn of
Africa neighbours. UNMEE was terminated on July 31. All Africa
Conference of Churches (AACC) attributed failure of the mission to
Eritrea's restriction of the movement of peacekeepers and Ethiopia's
refusal to hand over the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea. Following a
2-year war between the two nations over the town, the UN established the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission following an agreement signed in
2000. Under the agreement, also known as the Algiers Accord, the two
nations bound themselves to respect the decisions of the Commission.
The AACC secretary general, Rev Dr Muvume Dandala, said the church body
was perturbed by failure to implement the Commission's decisions. While
commending the UN and the international community for their support to
help Eritrea and Ethiopia resolve their crisis, Rev Dandala called for
implementation of the Algiers Accord in the interest of the people. "We
urge the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea to embrace dialogue,
exercise restraint, and refrain from any act that could create
hostilities between the two parties as it is in the interest of the
peoples of both countries that the Algiers accord is implemented in
order to restore permanent peace to these two nations."
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