6. Ethiopia II: The Battle in the Horn

CSPE Links

Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi (left), and
Eritrean President, Isaias Afwerki

Eritrea was a northern province of Ethiopia. In 1993 Eritrea held an election and voted overwhelmingly in favour of secession (leaving and becoming independent) from Ethiopia leaving it land-locked. Eritrea and Ethiopia had got on well in the past and their leaders, Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, were regarded as the type of leaders who would help bring about an African renaissance. They were regarded as being like brothers. The Eritreans had helped overthrow the Mengistu regime.

Eritreans and Ethiopians crossed freely and worked between countries without any problems. However, in 1997 the Eritreans decided to introduce their own currency citing economic reasons. The relationship between the two countries soured. The long border shared by the two countries is in places mountainous, rocky and desolate. It has never been properly mapped out. The border line was based on old colonial maps drawn up by the Italians. Suddenly the maps became the focus of a crisis.

Fighting broke out in May 1998 in an area known as the Badme triangle, a 400 square kilometre of land, which was assumed to be part of Ethiopia. Ethiopia demanded the withdrawal of Eritrea. Eritrea claimed they were taking back land that belonged to them. This pattern of claim and counter-claim was repeated at many points along the border.

Ethiopia had used Eritrean ports for their imports and exports. They diverted their ships to ports in Djibouti, a country to their East. While this caused economic damage to Eritrea, thousands of Ethiopians have lost a place to work in Eritrea. And so while this pointless war wastes lives and money, many Ethiopians starve to death in famine.