_WORLD WATCH______________________________
_________________ETHIOPIA-ERITREA_______________
Peace pact signed
But work remains to repair societies
The papal nuncio to Ethiopia and Eritrea, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, told the bishops of Ethiopia at a December meeting in Addis Ababa that a new peace agreement between the countries is only a beginning.
The Ethiopian bishops were meeting without the bishops of Eritrea, although the bishops of these two countries form one episcopal conference, since the governments will not allow either group of bishops to cross the borders.
“The Catholic bishops of Ethiopia and Eritrea are very happy about the signing of this peace agreement, but they realize that much remains to be done, particularly in two directions: conversion of hearts and resuming dialogue with Eritrea,” Archbishop Tomasi told the Fides new agency.
On December 12, Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi signed the accord and shook hands for the first time since May 1998. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika mediated and hosted the signing of the peace pact. The war between the two East African countries, often plagued by famine and drought and among the world’s poorest countries, erupted in May 1998 when Eritrea invaded what Ethiopia considered its territory. The war has left 50,000 dead, 100,000 injured, and almost one million homeless.
The agreement includes the setting up of commissions to mark the border, to exchange prisoners, to return displaced people, and to consider claims for war damages. The United Nations will send 4,200 peacekeepers before February to help consolidate the peace.
Back to Catholic World Report February 2001 Table of Contents