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Africa: East
Ethiopia seeks Improved Final Binding Horn ruling
2003-09-24
Ethiopia has said that it wants a new commission set up to rule on what it sees as the contested areas of its border with Eritrea. Ethiopia has for a while been disputing parts of the decision of a boundary commission set up under a peace deal, which ended a two-and-a-half year border war.
What could be valuable enough on the Ethiopian border with Etritia for two countries with poor economies to burn GDP fighting a war over?
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Hague-based Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission was in terminal crisis. Last year, both sides agreed to accept the commission’s ruling as final and binding. But Mr Meles now says it is unimaginable for the Ethiopian people to accept "a blatant miscarriage of justice" particularly over the award of the town of Gagme Badme to Eritrea which he says was "illegal, unjust and irresponsible".
Now we have the answer. The fight is about the town of Badme.
"We'll abide by the decision of the commission, as long as it goes our way..."
He also warns that the commission’s decision could lead to "another round of war" and therefore the United Nations has an obligation to get involved. The border between the two countries is manned by more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought the border war from 1998 to 2000 and an estimated 70,000 people died. The BBC’s reporter in the region says that Eritrea is unlikely to accept the partial demarcation of the border and will seek to increase its pressure on the international community to persuade Ethiopia to accept the ruling
As I remember, one of the Etritian strategies was to offer their country as a base of the war on terror. Why would any nation reliquish soverignity to the US as a way to pressure Ethiopia into ceding the town of Badme. What the hell is in Badme?
However, one diplomat has talked of being stumped as to how to progress. After chairing military talks last week, UN force commander General Robert Gordon warned that the peacekeeping operation risked ending in failure unless speedy steps were taken to mark the border.
Glad the US forewent the opportunity to ally with Etritia and instead barged our way into Djibouti. Here is some unsolicited Super Hose advise to Etritia: let Ethopia have Badme as long as the West forks over $400M to build Afro-Disney in your country.
Posted by:Super Hose

#5  We must secure this town. Else GunGun will take BadMe.
Posted by: Shipman   2003-9-24 9:21:12 PM  

#4  We must secure this town. Else GunGun will take BadMe.
Posted by: Shipman   2003-9-24 9:21:07 PM  

#3  Badme sounds like the name of a very good whorehouse
Posted by: Frank G   2003-9-24 7:36:09 PM  

#2  Alaska Paul, looking at the website you provided has left me with the impression that we should have taken them up on their offer. Looks like a strategic local for a base. I'm sure the USMC would rather sit in Etritia than bob around on the Iwo Jima. Bet we can build a good facility and let everyone in Badme that wants to move, come to our base and run the exchange or local McDonalds. Let Ethiopia keep Badme. Even the ping pong table can stay. There will be a nicer life on our base. Its a win win.
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-9-24 7:24:50 PM  

#1  From what I can gather, Badme is this sleepy little dusty town of 5,000 or so souls in the no-man's land between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Since it is on the undefined border that is the subject of years of war and eventually a border commission study, Badme is right in the middle of the border dispute.

Here is a website with more information on this dusty hole.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-9-24 4:02:43 PM  

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