UN, African experts meet in Algeria on Eritrea - Ethiopia conflict

The spokesman for the Organization of the African Unity, Ibrahim Daghash, stressed on Monday that experts from the OAU, the UN and the US held a meeting in Algeria to discuss practical measures for the peace agreement proposed by the OAU to end the Ethiopian - Eritrean conflict.

AFP quoted Daghash as saying in a statement to pressmen that the OAU presides over the meeting, adding that as soon as experts complete practical preparations a series of consultation will start between the two sides. He explained that special Algerian envoy and former Algerian Premier Ahmed Ouyahia and representatives of the general secretariat of the OAU will move to the two capitals involved, Asmara and Addis Ababa, to inform the two sides about the proposals and hold consultations with them on these proposals.

AFP added that after the consultations delegations from Ethiopia and Eritrea will move to Algiers in order to put the final touches on the agreement.

Meanwhile, African diplomatic sources said that works of the Algiers meeting will discuss means of redeployment of the two countries' armies, the schedule for such redeployment, determining lands concerned with redeployment, the return of civil administrations, the presence of military observers and means of financing this operation.

Ratification of the peace plan of the OAU took place in June, 1998 during the OAU summit held in Ouagadougou ( Burkina Faso). Measures pertaining to this plan were ratified at the summit of the African heads of states and governments held in Algiers, and both Asmara and Addis Ababa agreed to its main principles.

Moreover, a diplomatic source close to the OAU said that Ethiopia and Eritrea had earlier provided work documents explaining their positions to the experts.

Yamani Greberab, the political advisor and the special advisor for the President of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, on Saturday delivered a message to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from President Afwerki concerning the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.