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Sub Saharan Africa

Eritrea

Flag of Eritrea

Map of Eritrea Last updated: 8 October 2007

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Ethiopia

A dispute over the ill-defined border with Ethiopia flared into military conflict in May 1998. There were an estimated 100,000 casualties. Hostilities concluded with the signing of the Algiers Peace Agreement of December 2000. This established the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) to delimit and demarcate the border and established a 25km Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) between the 2 countries. A UN peacekeeping force (UNMEE) has been deployed along the TSZ since 2001. India, Jordan and Kenya are the major troop contributors, though the size of the force was reduced from 4,000 to 2,300 in early 2006 following restrictions placed on UNMEE activities and staff by the Eritrean Government. In April 2007 UNMEE further reduced its presence from 2,300 to 1,000 military personel. Under the Peace Agreement, UNMEE is to remain in place until the delimitation and demarcation of the border had been completed.

The EEBC announced its decision on the border on 13 April 2002. Demarcation was due to follow in 2003. However, when it became clear that the town of Badme (where the hostilities started) had been awarded to Eritrea, Ethiopia challenged the EEBC's conclusions. In November 2004 Ethiopia announced its acceptance "in principle" of the EEBC ruling but progress on demarcation remains stalled. The international community continues its efforts to keep the peace process on track by underlining that the EEBC decision is final and binding and by urging both governments to engage in political dialogue. Following an inconclusive EEBC meeting at The Hague in September 2007, the EEBC stated that it would go ahead with a ‘paper’ demarcation at the end of November 2007, regardless of progress on the ground. In recent months there has been a sharp military escalation at the border, and a growing fear within the international community that there will renewed war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea

ERITREA'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK

Diplomatic Representation

UK representation in Eritrea: Ambassador: Mr Nick Astbury

Eritrean representation in the UK: Ambassador Tesfamicael Gerahtu Ogbaghiorghis

Visits

There have been few official visits in recent years. The last were:

  • Visits to UK: Eritrean Foreign Minister, Ali Said Abdella, visited London in December 2003
  • Visits to Eritrea: Chris Mullin, former Minister for Africa, visited Eritrea in January 2004. 

Cultural Relations

The British Council is the focal point for cultural relations between Britain and Eritrea.

British Council, Eritrea

Policy

For recent statements of UK government policy towards Eritrea visit the Hansard website and enter Eritrea in the search engine.

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