Creating borders: exploring the impact of the Ethio-Eritrean war on the local population

TitleCreating borders: exploring the impact of the Ethio-Eritrean war on the local population
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2001
AuthorsG.J. Abbink
Secondary TitleAfrica : journal of the International African InstituteAfrica
Volume56
Issue4
Pagination447 - 458
Date Published2001///
PublisherEdizione Africane
Publication Languageeng
Keywordsboundaries, Eritrea, Ethiopia, ethnic relations, peace
Abstract

After more than two years of bloody warfare, the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace accord in Algiers on 12 December 2000. Although the peace accord paved the way for negotiations and a delineation of the Ethio-Eritrean border, political stability in the region is not expected to increase unless the two governments reform their systems of governance. This article focuses on social developments 'on the ground' since the peace accord and on the social and psychological impact of the war on local peoples, such as the Afar, Irob, and Kunama. The author argues that a strict delimitation of the border may further divide local population groups and create tensions instead of defusing them. He further argues that the impact of the United Nations Mission for Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), in place since December 2000, will be limited; UNMEE is responsible for immediate security issues, but is not allowed to mediate between State authorities and local inhabitants. In the end, the border people may hold a key to the future of Ethio-Eritrean relations. Notes, ref., sum. in French and Italian

IR handle/ Full text URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/1887/9475
Citation Key1994