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HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-up 134
29 March - 04 April 2003


CONTENTS:

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Peace process on course despite renewed difficulties,
  says UN
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Tigrayan officials warn of clashes over Badme
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: African Development Bank gives US $1 million to help
  drought victims
ERITREA: RSF calls on EU to link aid to release of journalists
ERITREA: Refugee repatriations from Sudan to resume
ETHIOPIA: Coffee drinkers urged to support growers
ETHIOPIA: EU to back AU peace initiatives
SOMALIA: Cholera outbreak confirmed in Mogadishu
SOMALIA: SRRC opposes Harmonisation Committee
SOMALIA: UN recommends sanctions for arms embargo violators
SUDAN: President, rebel leader hope for peace by June
SUDAN: Netherlands hosts donor reconstruction conference
SUDAN: No improvement on human rights front, UN says

ALSO SEE:

ERITREA: Interview with presidential adviser Dr Woldai Futur at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33186

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Peace process on course despite renewed difficulties,
says UN

The UN expressed "concern" on Friday over the fragile state of the peace
process between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Its warning came as the independent
boundary commission upheld a ruling that the symbolic village of Badme was
in Eritrea – a decision opposed by Ethiopia. "We are going to do our
utmost to ensure that the peace process continues on track," said Gail
Bindley Taylor Sainte of the UN’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).
"We are concerned, and as a result we will increase our efforts to ensure
that the peace process continues and progresses." But while it was facing
renewed difficulties, Sainte added, UNMEE remained "optimistic" because
Ethiopia and Eritrea had committed themselves to peace. Both countries
signed a peace deal in December 2000 after a two-year war, agreeing that
an independent commission would draw up an internationally recognised new
border. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33271]

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Tigrayan officials warn of clashes over Badme

The president of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, which borders Eritrea, has
warned of local clashes following a recent announcement that the
controversial village of Badme is in Eritrea. Tsirgay Berhe, who heads the
regional government in Tigray, said the local population might not accept
the decision. On Friday, the independent Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary
Commission (EEBC) categorically stated that the symbolic village of Badme
- where the two countries' border war flared up in 1998 - was in Eritrea.
The EEBC rejected attempts by Ethiopia to "vary" the delimited border
line, ahead of physical demarcation due to start in July. “In my view,
this is not justice, but is creating problems, not only now but for the
coming generations,” Tsirgay told IRIN. He pointed out that communities
would be divided under the ruling. Speaking in the Tigrayan regional
capital, Mekele, he warned of resistance by the local population which
could spark clashes with the Eritrean militia. Those clashes could
escalate if Ethiopian forces became involved, he added. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33176]

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: African Development Bank gives US $1 million to help
drought victims

The African Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday approved an aid package of
US $1 million for Ethiopia and Eritrea to help them fight devastating
drought. "The bank group's assistance, to be shared equally by the two
countries, will help strengthen the relief efforts currently underway,"
the bank said in a statement issued in Tunis. "The funds will be used
exclusively for the procurement, transportation and distribution of
cereals and pulses to the targeted population." Aid agencies say that more
than 11 million people face starvation in Ethiopia while some 70 percent
of the 3.4 million population in Eritrea has been affected by drought. The
UN's Emergency Unit for Ethiopia (EUE) has warned that a further three
million people in Ethiopia could soon need help. "In response to the bleak
picture in the country there is a need for the humanitarian community to
gear up for the second half of the year," the EUE said in its monthly
focus on Ethiopia. On Thursday the charities CARE and Oxfam said that
Eritrea had been "forgotten by the world". They urged the European
Commissioner Poul Nielson to set an example to other donors and pledge
more aid to the country. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33267]

ERITREA: RSF calls on EU to link aid to release of journalists

The Paris-based media watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), has
called on the EU development commissioner, who is currently visiting the
Horn of Africa region, to link the resumption of economic aid to Eritrea
to the release of 18 detained journalists. In a letter to Commissioner
Poul Nielson, RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard is quoted as saying:
"Knowing your commitment to human rights and press freedom, we hope you
will raise this issue with the Eritrean authorities you meet. Our
organisation in particular calls on the European Union to condition the
resumption of economic aid to Eritrea on the release of the 18 journalists
it has imprisoned, and the re-emergence of a free, privately-owned press
in the country." The independent media were closed down after being
accused of engaging in activities that "endangered national security and
unity" in September 2001. The RSF letter went on to say that it was
unacceptable for the authorities of a country, with full impunity, to
simply deprive their people of the right to be informed. The letter noted
that "Eritrea is today the only country in Africa, and one of the last in
the world, without privately-owned news media". [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33234]

ERITREA: Refugee repatriations from Sudan to resume

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says the voluntary repatriation of Eritreans
from Sudan is set to resume soon. The convoys returning Eritrean refugees
to their homeland stopped last October due to military activity in the
Kassala area of Sudan and the closure of the Eritrea-Sudan border. In a
report, UNHCR said there had been "positive negotiations" between the
agency and the governments of Sudan and Eritrea with a view to resuming
the repatriations. "Constant engagement by UNHCR and the governments of
Sudan and Eritrea, in remaining responsive to the need to continue the
voluntary repatriation operation, is expected to result in an agreement
between the two governments to resume repatriation," it said. Some 36,000
Eritreans have registered to return home. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33154]

ETHIOPIA: Coffee drinkers urged to support growers

Two British Members of Parliament (MP) on Thursday urged coffee drinkers
to use consumer power to get impoverished coffee growers a better deal.
MPs John Barrett and Andy Reed made the call at the end of a four-day trip
to Ethiopia. "I was stunned when I saw the living conditions of coffee
growers," John Barrett said. "People in Britain would not believe that
people live under these circumstances." Reed said that raising awareness
was key to bringing about change. He urged shoppers in rich nations to buy
coffee that helped poor farmers. Six months ago the charity Oxfam launched
an international campaign to try and boost prices for third world coffee
growers. It aims to force coffee onto the agenda of the G8 summit in
Mexico later this year.  [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33270]

ETHIOPIA: EU to back AU peace initiatives

The EU pledged 12 million Euros (US $12.9 million) on Thursday to back
peace initiatives by the newly formed African Union (AU). The money will
be used to boost attempts at conflict resolution in Africa. European
Commissioner Poul Nielson said the funds marked the start of an excellent
relationship between the EU and AU. “The African Union has provided a well
structured platform for better collaboration and cooperation with the
European union,” Nielson said at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
“Hence this grant is a vote of confidence and the beginning of a wonderful
relationship between the European Union and African Union.” Some 10
million Euros ($10.8 million) will be used to back AU plans for peace and
security negotiations, and crisis resolution on the war-torn continent.
The remainder will be used for “institutional support” for the AU which
Nielson said had seen some “positive changes”. Amara Essy, interim head of
the AU, said that peace and security had been at the heart of Africa’s
“liberation struggle” but that economic and social development was also
vital. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33263]

SOMALIA: Cholera outbreak confirmed in Mogadishu

An outbreak of cholera has been confirmed in the Somali capital,
Mogadishu, an official of the World Health Organisation (WHO) told IRIN on
Thursday. According to the official, "99 stool samples were collected and
checked by an AMREF [African Medical and Research Foundation] laboratory
in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where they confirmed 46 samples are
positive for cholera ogawa". Since the criteria for opening a cholera
treatment centre (CTC) had been met, Action Contre La Faim (ACF) had
opened such a facility on 1 April, he added. A regional cholera task force
was activated by the local authorities in collaboration with WHO, other UN
agencies involved in health and ACF "to monitor and contain the
situation". Since the opening of the CTC by ACF on Tuesday, 18 severe
cases had been reported, the ACF country director, Florence Gillette, told
IRIN. The Somali Red Crescent Society in collaboration with ACF had opened
four oral rehydration points "to treat the less severe cases", she said.
"Initial indications show that the epidemic will be moderate, but we will
continue to monitor the situation." [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33240]

SOMALIA: SRRC opposes Harmonisation Committee

The Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) has strongly
objected to the recent creation of a Harmonisation Committee (HC) by the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development's (IGAD) Technical Committee
steering the Somali peace talks being held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi,
according to a senior SRRC member. The SRRC co-chairman, Ambassador
Abdullahi Shaykh Isma'il, told IRIN that his group objected to the
unilateral manner in which the IGAD Technical Committee had created this
HC, which "is a breach of the agreed upon Conference Rules of Procedure".
The establishment of the HC had been announced "without consultation and
approval" of the Leaders' Committee, he said. The role of the HC will be
to coordinate the work of the peace conference's six working committees
and come up with one report.  [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33207]

SOMALIA: UN recommends sanctions for arms embargo violators

A UN panel of experts has recommended imposing sanctions on violators of
the UN arms embargo on Somalia. Last August, UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan named the three-member panel of experts to investigate violations of
the arms embargo on Somalia. In a report to the UN Security Council, the
panel said the embargo was consistently being breached, and recommended
that the Council send a clear signal that all future violators would face
sanctions. "As the arms embargo has been consistently violated since its
imposition, it has no normative value, and none of the Somali faction
leaders or their regional sponsors has been held accountable. A feeling
that 'business as usual' will continue indefinitely prevails," said the
report to the Council, issued on Tuesday.

The panel said the arms market in Somalia was also supplied by external
sources. "It [the report] cites Ethiopia as one such country that has
played an overt military role in Somalia," the UN said. "Eritrea is also
said to have been a major supplier of arms and ammunition. Yemen and
Djibouti, among other nations in the region, are reported to have helped
provide weapons to Somalia, mainly to the Transitional National Government
[TNG]." [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33179]

SUDAN: President, rebel leader hope for peace by June

President Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan and the leader of the Sudan
People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), John Garang, said on Wednesday
that they hoped for a final truce by the end of June 2003. "They jointly
expressed hope on reaching a final peace agreement by the end of June,
2003," said a joint communique. At a meeting in the Kenyan capital,
Nairobi, which was chaired by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, both leaders
reaffirmed their commitment to a cessation of hostilities and unrestricted
delivery of humanitarian access. They agreed on "the need to open
communication channels between them" and committed themselves to be
"forthright" on upcoming issues in the negotiations, with a view to
boosting the peace process. They also reiterated their confidence in the
Kenyan mediators at the IGAD-sponsored talks, and agreed on the need to
maintain the momentum towards reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.
Kibaki observed that the negotiations had reached "a critical stage", and
urged the two parties to maintain their commitment and flexibility by
making the necessary compromises to end the conflict. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33233]

SUDAN: Netherlands hosts donor reconstruction conference

A three-day donor conference on the reconstruction of Sudan began on
Tuesday in Noordwijk, near the Dutch city of Amsterdam. The aim of the
conference was to identify and coordinate reconstruction activities that
could begin immediately after an agreement was concluded between the
Sudanese government and the SPLM/A, a Dutch foreign ministry statement
said. "Active involvement in Sudan by the donor community and a rapid
start to reconstruction activities are crucial ingredients for stability
in the delicate phase following a peace agreement," the statement said.
Participants were due to discuss peace-building activities such as mine
clearance, disarmament and monitoring of the current ceasefire, as well as
builiding up the country's infrastructure, establishing public
authorities, and humanitarian activities. Representatives from the
government of Sudan, the SPLM, the US, the UK, Norway, Canada,
Switzerland, Japan, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, the African
Development Bank, the Arab League, the IGAD and several NGOs were due to
attend the meeting, the statement said.  [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33189]

SUDAN: No improvement on human rights front, UN says

The human rights situation has not improved in either the north or
rebel-held south of Sudan, according to Gerhart Baum, the UN's Special
Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Sudan. "I have seen no
fundamental change since my last visit, in spite of further commitments by
the government," he told a briefing at the UN Human Rights Commission on
Friday. "The country remains under the iron-tight grip of the omnipresent
security apparatus, which continues to enjoy virtual impunity." While some
improvements had taken place as a result of the ceasefire agreement
between the government and the SPLM/A, he said they had been insufficient,
and human rights abuses had not actually decreased. The situation in the
rebel-held south of the country also remained of concern, where virtually
no guarantees were set for the respect of basic rights and fundamental
freedoms, he added. Of particular concern was the escalating rebellion and
resulting conflict in Darfur, which affected 25 percent of the country's
population, and which was not covered by the current peace agreement.
[Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33152]


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