Eritrean government delegates consult during the 29th African Union
Heads of Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 4, 2017. ANDUALEM SISAY
| NATION MEDIA GROUP
The African Union will send a mission to Asmara to help ease the
tension between Eritrea and Djibouti following the withdrawal of the
Qatari troops from their disputed border region.
The AU
Commission Chairman, Dr Moussa Faki, made the announcement at the
African Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
Dr
Faki recalled that the Qatari troops left the disputed region a few
weeks ago, after controlling it since 2010 as part of the mediation
process.
He said the Commission will send a team to the contested area following an appeal by Djibouti.
“Our
concern is to make sure that we decrease the tension and find a
solution…We are calling on all parties to remain calm…We will implement
the mechanisms enshrined on our text of the African Union in
consultation with Igad [the Inter-Governmental Authority on
Development],” he said.
Qatar
withdrew from the disputed area and notified Djibouti of the cessation
of their role in the mediation, according to the AU chairman.
The two Horn of African nations in June 2010 accepted the Qatari offer to mediate the border conflict between them.
Reports
indicate that the dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea began in June
2008 when Asmara soldiers penetrated the tiny neighbouring state in
pursuit of deserters.
The disputed area includes a
hill called Gabla or Ras Dumeira, and a small island called Dumeira,
deserted except for the occasional fishermen who use it as a stopover
point.
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