Yemeni - Eritrean decision over Hanish Islands dispute near

Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Karim al-Iryani announced on Sunday that the international arbitration committee in charge of the dispute between Yemen and Eritrea over the Hanish Islands would decide on this issue before the middle of the current month.

Al-Iryani, who is also the chairman of the Yemeni committee in charge of following up the issue of Hanish islands, was quoted on Sunday as saying to the Qatari daily Al-Watan that the international arbitration committee finished listening to verbal debates, the last part of the arbitration.

He added, "We had proven that the disputed over area was owned by Yemen, which alone used to give oil licenses in the islands." He added that formerly Ethiopia and later Eritrea were not in touch with the islands. However, an armed conflict erupted between the two countries in December 1995 on sovereignty over Hanish islands in the Red Sea.

The two countries on May 21, 1996 in Paris signed an initial agreement following French mediation in which the two sides agreed to submit the dispute to international arbitration. The agreement states that France will ensure the current status in these strategic islands, whose sovereignty is not yet decided by an international treaty, while waiting for the decision of the arbitration commission.