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| Eritrea-Ethiopia deadline expires | Eritrea-Ethiopia deadline expires |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A deadline for long-time foes Ethiopia and Eritrea to agree their shared border is to expire at midnight. | A deadline for long-time foes Ethiopia and Eritrea to agree their shared border is to expire at midnight. |
| The date was set a year ago by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission which was created following a bloody border war between the two countries. | The date was set a year ago by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission which was created following a bloody border war between the two countries. |
| The commission says if it fails to hear anything it will consider the line it has drawn as the official border. | The commission says if it fails to hear anything it will consider the line it has drawn as the official border. |
| Both sides say they accept its ruling, but neither has moved their troops to their own side of a buffer zone. | |
| Some 80,000 people died during the 1998-2000 war. | Some 80,000 people died during the 1998-2000 war. |
| The United Nations has a peacekeeping force of 1,700 charged with monitoring a security zone along the new border. | |
| Click here to see a map of the border | Click here to see a map of the border |
| The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, says the commission can hardly be said to have succeeded. | The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, says the commission can hardly be said to have succeeded. |
| TENSE BORDER Dec 2000: Peace agreement Apr 2002: Border rulingMar 2003: Ethiopian complaint over Badme rejected Sep 2003: Ethiopia asks for new rulingFeb 2005: UN concern at military build-upOct 2005: Eritrea restricts peacekeepers' activitiesNov 2005: UN sanctions threat if no compliance with 2000 deal Q&A: Horn's bitter war | TENSE BORDER Dec 2000: Peace agreement Apr 2002: Border rulingMar 2003: Ethiopian complaint over Badme rejected Sep 2003: Ethiopia asks for new rulingFeb 2005: UN concern at military build-upOct 2005: Eritrea restricts peacekeepers' activitiesNov 2005: UN sanctions threat if no compliance with 2000 deal Q&A: Horn's bitter war |
| Its imminent disappearance leaves the two armies glaring at each other across a still unresolved border. | Its imminent disappearance leaves the two armies glaring at each other across a still unresolved border. |
| What was meant to be a demilitarised border is now thick with troops and bristling with weapons and representatives of the commission have not been able to get in to set up border markers, our correspondent says. | What was meant to be a demilitarised border is now thick with troops and bristling with weapons and representatives of the commission have not been able to get in to set up border markers, our correspondent says. |
| The two sides will not talk to each other and there is no obvious way to move the issue towards a more satisfactory conclusion, she says. | The two sides will not talk to each other and there is no obvious way to move the issue towards a more satisfactory conclusion, she says. |
| In the past few weeks there has been talk of UN involvement and perhaps the appointment of a facilitator to work with the two sides. | In the past few weeks there has been talk of UN involvement and perhaps the appointment of a facilitator to work with the two sides. |
| But so far no such initiative has been announced. | But so far no such initiative has been announced. |
| Ogaden denial | Ogaden denial |
| The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders, Meles Zenawi and Isaias Afewerki respectively, were allies until after Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. | The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders, Meles Zenawi and Isaias Afewerki respectively, were allies until after Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. |
| Their rebel movements had fought together to overthrow long-time Ethiopian ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam. | Their rebel movements had fought together to overthrow long-time Ethiopian ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam. |
| The 1998-2000 war was ostensibly fought over the dusty town of Badme, which was subsequently awarded to Eritrea by the border commission. | The 1998-2000 war was ostensibly fought over the dusty town of Badme, which was subsequently awarded to Eritrea by the border commission. |
| But to this day the settlement remains under Ethiopian administration. | But to this day the settlement remains under Ethiopian administration. |
| Meanwhile, Mr Meles has denied accusations made by separatist rebels in the south-east of Ethiopia that his troops have committed massive human rights abuses against civilians. | Meanwhile, Mr Meles has denied accusations made by separatist rebels in the south-east of Ethiopia that his troops have committed massive human rights abuses against civilians. |
| The rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front accused government forces of executing local residents during counter-insurgency operations in the region. | The rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front accused government forces of executing local residents during counter-insurgency operations in the region. |
| Mr Meles said such violations would not take place because his government respected human rights. | Mr Meles said such violations would not take place because his government respected human rights. |
| He said that given his own experience as a former rebel leader he knew that harassing civilians was the gravest mistake a government fighting an insurgency could make. | He said that given his own experience as a former rebel leader he knew that harassing civilians was the gravest mistake a government fighting an insurgency could make. |
| Click here to return | Click here to return |