Land mines between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Ethiopia-Eritrea, Politics, 10/4/2000

The spokesman for the UN Higher Commission for the refugees said that landmines and destruction inflected by the Ethiopian forces in the border areas with Eritrea had diminished the hopes for returning back the refugees to their homes in the " former war" areas.

The spokesman added as saying that the commission has sent a team to the border area between Ethiopia and Eritrea which was left by the Ethiopian forces two weeks ago and that the commission found that the area is completely devastated and implanted by mines. A matter which obstructs the process of returning the refugees back to their homes.

He said that the commission's team visited Um Hajer town, 300 Km to the southern east of Asmara, adding that 80% of the town was destroyed including hospitals and schools and that the Eritrea's army told the team that it has so far dismantled some 50 landmines and that one person was killed when a mine went off.

He stressed that the situation is very difficult and that some 100,000 were expelled from their houses as a result of the Eritrea  Ethiopia wars to Sudan and that many of them fled into Eritrea.

He expressed the hope of the of the commission to help some 50,000 refugees who are still in Sudan besides 160,00 others who fled because of previous wars to bring them back home.

Previous Stories:
  UN military observers deployed on Eritrean- Ethiopian border   (9/23/2000)
  Eritrea is positive on OAU decision on conflict with Ethiopia   (7/15/2000)
  Ethiopian forces withdraw from Eritrea 's village   (7/13/2000)

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