wfn.org | WCC delegation learns Ethiopia-Eritrea peace to be tested

["Sheila Mesa" <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

soon

World Council of Churches
Update, Up-02-20
For Immediate Use
15 July 2002

Horn of Africa:
Ethiopia-Eritrea peace to be tested soon, WCC delegation learns

cf. WCC Press Update, Up-02-19, of 10 July 2002
cf. WCC Press Update, Up-02-18, of 8 July 2002 
cf. WCC Press Release, PR-02-17, of 28 June 2002

The relative peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea is due to be
tested soon. At a briefing on 11 July by the general secretary
for the United Nations Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE),
Ambassador Joseph Llegweila told World Council of Churches (WCC)
general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser that the test will come
when the two countries transfer territory. Raiser is in Ethiopia
as part of a 1-16 July visit to the Greater Horn of Africa and
Tanzania.   

Ethiopia and Eritrea have been locked in a bitter boundary war
that first erupted in 1998 and flared up again two years ago. To
settle their dispute over the borderline, a transfer of territory
will become necessary. "Whether people will want to be
transferred with the territory is the question," the ambassador
noted, pointing out that border residents will be given the
choice as to whether or not to accept what will amount to change
of citizenship.  

Ambassador Llegweila stressed that the governments of both
countries "are obliged to treat each other's people humanely".
The territory transfer could result in an estimated 10,000
Eritrean and Ethiopian families finding themselves on the other
side of a re-drawn border. The decision on the redrawn border
will be made next week at the Hague by a UN-sponsored Boundary
Commission. Currently telephone links between the two countries
are disconnected.  

Llegweila went on to express the UN's concern that the release
of political prisoners by both Ethiopia and Eritrea has stalled.
Ethiopia is holding 1,400 Eritrean prisoners while Eritrea has
260 Ethiopian prisoners.  

Raiser told the ambassador that he and his delegation are on a
pastoral visit to the Horn of Africa and Tanzania to acquaint
themselves with peace and reconciliation initiatives being
undertaken in the sub-region. The ambassador noted that
"religious leaders have been very helpful" in the restoration of
peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea.  

.........
The WCC delegation is visiting northern and southern Sudan,
Ethiopia and Eritrea, Tanzania and Kenya during its 1-16 July
tour. Members of the WCC delegation are Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser,
WCC general secretary, Dr Agnes Abuom, WCC president (Sudan,
Kenya, Eritrea portions of visit), Ms Karimi Kinoti, former
coordinator of FECCLAHA, All Africa Conference of Churches, Mr
Stein Villumstad, East Africa regional representative, Norwegian
Church Aid, (Sudan-Khartoum, Ethiopia, Eritrea), Mr William Temu,
WCC regional secretary for Africa, Mr Mitch Odero, head of
Information & Communication Department, All Africa Conference of
Churches, Mr Peter Williams, WCC photographer and videographer
(Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea). The delegation is being
accompanied by Rev. Haruun Ruun, New Sudan Council of Churches
(NSCC) executive secretary

Photos of the visit are available on our website at
http://www.photooikoumene.org/events/events.html 

For further information, please contact Media Relations Office, 
 tel: +41 (0)22 791 64 21

*********
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches,
now 342, in more than 100 countries in all continents from
virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is
not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The
highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately
every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general
secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
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