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Peace agreement holds—barely
Observers wary of new flare-up

The apostolic nuncio to Ethiopia and Eritrea has said he is optimistic that recent peace agreements between the two East African countries will hold, despite lingering questions.

“We are optimistic: everything is going according to the December 12 agreement. The governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia have made progress on the path of reconciliation, although many problems remained unsolved,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi.

In February, Ethiopia began to pull out troops from Senafe near Zalambessa on the central front with Eritrea, while Eritrea’s troops are re-organizing. “This shows that both sides are seriously committed to peace,” the archbishop said. Ethiopia has two weeks to complete the retreat to the positions re-occupied in 1999, creating a security strip along the border. UN peacekeeping troops and observers have already arrived. The next step is for both governments to guarantee the sort of political stability that will be necessary to re-launch their respective economies and development.

The situation of refugees remains serious. Recently Archbishop Tomasi visited the Deda camp in Eritrea where 5,000 people are in need of food, medicine, and clean water. As many as 200,000 others live in various camps around Eritrea, assisted by the international community. “The main challenge now is to help these people return to their villages,” the nuncio said. “They have nothing. It will take a united effort to help them get home and start a new life.”