Algiers Agreement (2000)
| Agreement between the Government of the State of Eritrea and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | |
|---|---|
| Signed | 12 December 2000 |
| Location | Algiers |
| Signatories | Government of Eritrea and Government of Ethiopia. |
The Algiers Agreement was a peace agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia signed on December 12, 2000, at Algiers, Algeria to formally end the Eritrean-Ethiopian War, a border war fought by the two countries from 1998 to 2000. (See also: History of Eritrea.) In the agreement the two parties reaffirmed the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities which had been signed on 18 June 2000.
The Algiers Agreement provided for the exchange of prisoners and the return of displaced persons as well as establishing a Boundary Commission to demarcate the border and a Claims Commission to assess damagers caused by the conflict.
The purpose of the agreement was to:
The agreement established two neutral commissions: the Boundary Commission, and the Claims Commission.
Each commission was composed of five members and located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Each country was to appoint two commissioners who were not nationals of the country. The president of each commission was selected by the other commissioners. Provision was made that if they failed to agree on a president within 30 days, the Secretary-General of the United Nations would appoint a president after consultation with the parties.
The two governments agreed to determine the origins of the conflict by allowing an investigation incidents of 1997 and 1998 and earlier regarding their common border. The investigation would be carried out by an independent, impartial body, known as the Ethiopian-Eritrean Boundary Commission (EEBC), appointed by the Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in consultation with the Secretary General of the United Nations and the two parties.
The two governments reaffirmed the principle of respect for the borders existing at independence, and that the border was to be determined on the basis of colonial treaties and applicable international law by the EEBC. The United Nations Cartographer would serve as Secretary to the EEBC, and undertake such tasks as assigned to him by the Commission, making use of the technical expertise of the UN Cartographic Unit.
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