Eritrea and Ethiopia are two developing countries in the Horn of Africa that have been locked in a Cold War for over 7 years. For hundreds of years the peoples of both Eritrea and Ethiopia have been in conflict, but only in the last century have their weapons wrought mind-numbing destruction.
In recent weeks the Foreign Ministry of Ethiopia has purported that the demarcation of its boundary with Eritrea was nothing more than “legal nonsense.” Indeed the virtual demarcation is a far cry from the physical border posts that were initially to be constructed. However, after three quarters of a decade trying to construct the actual border posts the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), which was charged by both countries as the neutral arbiter resolved to demarcate the border in the most practical manner possible.
Well the BBC seems to be the first ones out the door with an article about the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) meeting. I would hope so, after all, it is right in their backyard. But what has the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman said about Eritrea at the meeting?
“They don’t want peace….because of the rigid behavior of the Eritrean Government.” Well now this seems to grave indication of Ethiopia’s intentions at this meeting. Could it mean that they are trying to elicit a response from Eritrea?
As we saw right before the last meeting with the EEBC (Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission) meeting in London, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has done his level best to characterize the Eritrean people of desiring war. Amid reporters in the Ethiopian capital today he said, “…if its tiny neighbor [Eritrea] provokes hostilities, then Addis Ababa is ready to teach it a lesson…”