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FACTBOX-Key facts on Ethiopia and Eritrea
02 Nov 2007 16:40:51 GMT
Source: Reuters
Nov 2 (Reuters) - The 1998-2000 border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea claimed some 70,000 lives but the dispute over the frontier was never resolved. And talk of another war is worrying residents of Ethiopia's border country.

Here are some key facts:

WHAT HAS HAPPENED:

1952 - Eritrea, a former Italian colony and U.N. mandated territory since World War Two, is federated with Ethiopia under Emperor Haile Selassie.

1962 - Eritrea becomes a province of Ethiopia, fuelling Eritrea's independence struggle.

1993 - Eritrea gains independence after a referendum. Eritrea enjoys good relations with Ethiopia.

May 6, 1998 - The start of the border war. Eritrean and Ethiopian forces clash in the western border region of Badme.

June 18, 2000 - Peace agreement brokered by the Organisation of African Unity after around 70,000 people were killed in the war.

Nov 25, 2003 - Ethiopia accepts "in principle" the 2002 Hague-based Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission ruling that the border village of Badme belongs to Eritrea.

Nov 29, 2006 - Boundary commission says it has given Ethiopia and Eritrea a year to demarcate their 620-mile (1,000-km) border. Ethiopia and Eritrea refused to attend.

ERITREA'S PART:

* Eritrea has rejected any diplomatic efforts that do not proceed directly to the enforcement of the border ruling.

* Eritrea has blamed the international community, and the United Nations in particular, for failing to force Ethiopia to accept their shared border.

* Eritrea dismissed the threat of U.N sanctions and at the end of 2005 ordered U.N. peacekeepers from Western countries to leave.

* Late last month Eritrea accused Ethiopia of plotting to invade ahead of a late-November deadline to mark their disputed border on maps.

ETHIOPIA'S PART:

* Ethiopia called for further dialogue in 2002 after Badme was given to Eritrea.

* Ethiopia said in December 2004 that it would accept the ruling after negotiations with Eritrea on the mechanics of how the border demarcation will take place.

* In November 2005 tensions along the frontier rose sharply. as both countries moved up troops. By January 2006, Ethiopia had complied with a U.N. demand to withdraw troops.

* At a commission meeting last September, Ethiopia and Eritrea again accused each other of violating the 2000 agreement.

* Addis Ababa said Eritrea is breaking the peace agreement by deploying troops in the U.N.-patrolled security zone.
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