Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC)

This illustrates the reason why the problem of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary remains unsolved. The parties agreed beforehand that they would accept the decisions of the Boundary Commission, but Ethiopia reneged on the decision by the EEBC to demarcate the boumdary by coordinates, and the international community including the UK let them off the hook by saying that "there should vbe a dialogue between them about the border". This would imply that after all, the EEBC's determination was not final and binding, and that it could still be adjusted to suit one of the parties.

The only way to break the deadlock and end the confrontation which sterilises a huge area along the border, keeping armies numbering tens of thousands on either side and preventing trade across the frontier, is for the UN Security Council to insist that Ethiopia stand by its undertaking to accept the  EEBC. The UK should be taking the lead on arriving at this solution.