11. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission: The Aftermath

The border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia never reached the final stage of physical demarcation of the border on the ground. The award decisions by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission in 2002 and 2006 remained unimplemented until today. The aim of this chapter is to revise the issues that surrounded the delimitation award in the context that followed that decision. In particular, this chapter considers some of the legal issues raised by the delimitation award and the border demarcation in relation to the decisions and processes that were adopted by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission in the context of the 2000 Algiers Agreement. It also reflects on some issues that go beyond the strict legal analysis and that might explain the position of the parties to the dispute and their subsequent lack of cooperation in effectively concluding the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border, and therefore the related territorial dispute. Recent developments, particularly in the last two years, may lead to some positive outcomes for the conclusion of this long-lasting situation of tension and disagreement between the two East African countries.