IGCC Policy Brief July 2000 ISSN 1089-8352 Number 14
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors Sandra Joireman
It is in the best interest of the United States to urge a rapid demarcation of the Ethiopian–Eritrean border. Full Recommendations, page 4.
Summary: A ceasefire in the border war between The United States needs to Ethiopia and Eritrea is only the be- work towards strengthening its ginning of the process of conflict relationship with Ethiopia in resolution that must occur for peace particular, as this has been damaged to take hold. The border war is the by its reactions to the border war. result of long standing distrust and Ethiopia is our most important, and animosity between these two coun- possibly our only ally in the Horn of tries. Therefore the possibility of Africa. Its efforts at democratization, the conflict erupting into violence its size and its relative stability make again is high unless serious internal it essential to the promotion of US and international effort is put into the interests in the entire Horn region. It demarcation of the border and the is therefore necessary for the United acceptance of that demarcated border States to build strong relations with as fair. Ethiopia as well as encourage peace and economic development.
IGCC is a multicampus research unit of the University of California, established in 1983 to conduct original research and inform public policy debate on the means of attenuating conflict and estab- lishing cooperation in international relations. Policy Briefs provide recommendations based on the work of UC faculty and participants in institute programs. Authors’ views are their own. Efforts to resolve the border conflict sonnel. Ethiopian police reminded the between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been Eritrean soldiers of this agreement and characterized by a complete lack of trust asked them to leave their weapons if they on the part of both countries. Hence the wished to enter Ethiopia. The Eritrean decision of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi troops refused to comply and opened fire to “fight while we negotiate and negoti- on the Ethiopian police, killing two. ate while we fight.” Once a ceasefire between the parties is negotiated, the The Eritreans claim that Badme is their conflict will not be fully resolved; there- own territory based on maps from the fore it is essential for the United States Italian colonial era. The Eritrean gov- and other countries to facilitate a rapid ernment alleges that after 1991 the Ethio- demarcation of the border that is satisfac- pian government had a systematic policy tory to both parties. Without a mutually of attempting to expand their northern satisfactory border the likelihood for province of Tigray through the acquisi- further violent conflict is high as the tion of Eritrean territory. They claim that border area has now become imbued with in 1992 Tigray administration officials deep political meaning as a physical crossed the true border and put new bor- manifestation of nationalism and the der markers deep in Eritrean territory. respect for sovereignty. Subsequently Ethiopians from the Tigray region moved into this newly reclaimed area and Eritreans living there began to Origins of the Conflict be harassed. Attempts to peacefully re- solve the conflict were allegedly met Serious economic problems between the with further territorial aggression and two countries began in 1997. Ethiopia harassment by the Ethiopians until the was, at that point, already angry with Eritrean troops were called into protect Eritrea about excessively high port the interests of the local people. charges that Ethiopia had to pay in order to export its coffee crop through Assab. Ethiopia has acknowledged that there are The two countries shared a common cur- problems with the demarcation of the rency, the Ethiopian birr, and Ethiopia border between the two countries. How- was upset that Eritrea was using birr to ever, Eritrean movement into the Badme acquire dollars and thereby tightening the area was seen as a violation of Ethiopian money supply in both countries. In 1997, sovereignty due to the fact that Badme Eritrea came out with its own currency. had never been administered by an Eri- Ethiopia insisted that interstate transac- trean government, not since 1991 and not tions be conducted in dollars, which put during the Italian colonial period. A bi- economic pressure on Eritrea as it then lateral border commission had been es- had to pay for imports of food and other tablished to resolve the border conflicts, Ethiopian resources in dollars. By the but the Eritrean military takeover of end of 1997 what had been a cordial rela- Badme moved the dispute out of the tionship between the two countries had realm of diplomacy and into the realm of broken down. armed conflict. The physical confrontation began when The conflict erupted into violence spo- armed Eritrean troops crossed the de radically from May 1998 until May 2000. facto border at Badme. According to the On May 12, 2000 a week after yet an- Ethiopian government, Eritrean troops other attempt to resolve the conflict entered Ethiopia in violation of an exist- through negotiation failed and two days ing agreement that prohibited the cross- ing of the border by armed military per-
______2 ______before the Ethiopian parliamentary elec- Policy Failures tions, Ethiopia went on the offensive and within two weeks had driven deep into So far the United States has had two Eritrean territory. It was able to reclaim strategies to deal with the conflict. One, all the disputed territory around Badme followed from the earliest days of the and take land in the West and South of conflict originated in the State Depart- Eritrea. Now Ethiopia holds the upper ment under the auspices of Susan Rice. It hand in negotiations and says it will not seemed to follow the Hippocratic adage withdraw from the area it occupies until a “first, do no harm.” The US State De- peacekeeping force takes those areas partment has encouraged both countries over. At the same time, Ethiopia has been to peacefully solve their problems engaged in proximity talks mediated by through the OAU peace process, and the Organization of African Unity and employed special envoy Tony Lake to has also been moving offensively on the push the countries towards that goal. Assab front. When the May 2000 offensive began, this apparently was no longer sufficient. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of media Effects of the Conflict images of starving children in the Ogaden and tanks moving across the Apart from the 120,000 casualties (est.) border. Whatever the impetus, a UN dip- incurred by both sides, there are esti- lomatic mission headed by US Ambassa- mates that nearly a quarter of Eritrea’s dor to the United Nations Richard Hol- population had to flee their homes to get brooke diverted its itinerary from the away from the fighting. Thus the human Congo to the Horn of Africa because of toll to both sides, and particularly the indications (shipments of blood plasma to Eritreans, has been profound. The coun- the front lines) that active fighting was tries have also spent large sums of money about to begin again. on arms and provisions for troops at the front. These are funds that are taken After meeting with the leaders of Ethio- away from development, education and pia and Eritrea, Holbrooke left the area drought relief. Figures range between declaring the conflict to be “senseless” 300-400 million dollars spent on arms by and solvable “through diplomatic both countries last year. A UN arms em- means.” The US then pushed forward a bargo was placed on both countries in plan to establish an arms embargo for May, but it was too little too late. It will both countries through the United Na- have little effect on the conflict, and has tions Security Council. Resolution 1298 done much to damage relations between was passed on May 17, 2000. It provided the US and the UK and Ethiopia. To the for a complete embargo to both countries human costs and opportunity costs of the for a year. war we must also add ecological damage. Fighting has occurred in what is a very While Eritrea was relatively quiet about fragile and arid ecosystem. Not only are the resolution, Ethiopians were incensed. farmers not able to plant crops in the The streets of Addis Ababa were filled contested areas, which will certainly with demonstrators stoning the US and worsen the affects of the three year UK embassies and burning Bill Clinton drought the Horn is undergoing at the and Tony Blair in effigy. From the present time, but fighting has polluted the Ethiopian perspective, the arms embargo whole border region with the detritus of punished them for defending their sover- war, from landmines and shell casings to eignty. Ethiopian relations with the US rotting corpses.
______3 ______have since deteriorated and the war con- the border conflict has led to a frosty tinues apace. relationship with Ethiopia which will ultimately be damaging to US interests. Having Impact If the United States is to have a serious Sandra Fullerton Joireman is an As- impact in the Horn of Africa, where we sociate Professor of Political Science at have both economic and humanitarian St. Bonaventure University. She re- interests, it is essential that we form a ceived her Ph.D. from UCLA and is the more constructive relationship with author of the forthcoming book, Prop- erty Rights and Political Development Ethiopia. Prior to the outbreak of the in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as nu- border war Ethiopia was a major player merous articles on the Horn of Africa. in peace efforts in Sudan and economic development in the region through the To obtain additional copies of this or other Intergovernmental Authority on Devel- briefs, contact the IGCC Publications Clerk opment (IGAD). Ethiopia is also the only or view at:
How to stabilize the Horn of Africa: 1. Use all possible means to force Ethiopia and Eritrea to agree on a demarca- tion of the border satisfactory to both parties. Until this happens any peace that ex- ists will be fragile. 2. Increase US investment and trade initiatives in Ethiopia. Particularly now with the passing of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act there are opportunities to increase a positive US role in the country. 3. Once the conflict ends, resurrect the political role of IGAD through a focus on refugee issues. This is a role IGAD has had in the past; it will be both necessary and uncontroversial once conflict ends.
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