Ethiopia committed to making up with Eritrea

THE Ethiopian community in South Africa says there should be no compromise when it comes to achieving peace on the African continent.

Ambassador to SA Dr Shiferaw Teklemariam of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia yesterday said: “All our neighbours are our friends, brothers and sisters. There is no historical reason to fight with all of them, particularly when it comes to Eritrea.”

Teklemariam’s comments come in the wake of peace talks between the two countries which have previously been ripped apart by war over land – a fight that has lasted for over two decades since Eritrea gained its independence in 1991.

Speaking in Pretoria, Teklemariam said latest talks were an indication that the two countries sought to move forward.

He said the impending decisions and those that had already been made by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission 18 years ago were important and had to be beneficial for both sides.

In 2000, The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration established a law that sought to ensure that Ethiopia and Eritrea reached an agreement over disputed land.

In this agreement, it was decided that the commission would carry out a mandate of “delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border” between the two countries.

The town known as Badme has been the bone of contention between the countries. It is said to be occupied by Ethiopia despite it falling under Eritrea’s territory.

But Teklemariam wouldn’t be drawn into past disputes, only saying his country was waiting to hear from the Eritrean government on a way forward and whether any negotiations can be made.

“Our request is that we have accepted the demarcation commission’s decision in principle but let us work on details on the ground,” he said.

He further highlighted that Ethiopia was also trying its best to ensure that peace prevailed in South Sudan, adding that was why the country was on a peacekeeping mission there.