VOA常速英语2007-Ethiopia, Eritrea Trade Blame on Boundary Disput

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
25 October 2007

Ethiopia and Eritrea are blaming each other as a commission set up to adjudicate their border dispute prepares to finish its work without finding a mutually acceptable settlement. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports the commission's closing raises the prospect¹ of an uncertain future and rising tensions along the disputed frontier.

The Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission has sent a final report to the United Nations, regretting that it could not take its work through 'to its full conclusion' during seven years of existence.

A copy of the report obtained by VOA indicates that, at a meeting last month, the two sides showed no movement toward a settlement of their dispute. The reports says Commission President Elihu Lauterpacht reminded both sides that an earlier ruling on border demarcation would become effective late next month, when the commission ends its work.

The commission was established in 2000 at the end of a two-year border war that killed 70,000 people. The Algiers accord that ended the fighting committed both sides to accept the commission's decision as final and binding²'

But two years later, when the commission awarded the contested border town of Badme to Eritrea, Ethiopia rejected the decision.

The commission's final report has not been made public, but already the two sides are exchanging verbal salvos, accusing each other of responsibility for the lack of agreement.

A statement posted on the Eritrean Ministry³ of Information website this week claims the Boundary Commission had explained that it was unable to carry out its work 'due to the Ethiopian government's non-compliance.' The statement accused Ethiopia of raising what were described as 'totally irrelevant⁴, extraneous⁵ excuses' for its reluctance⁶ to agree to border demarcation.

Ethiopia replied with its own statement on the web. It notes that the Commission recognized Ethiopia's full commitment to the demarcation process, and accuses Eritrea of violating the Algiers accord by moving troops into a 25-kilometer Temporary Security Zone.

Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahide Belay says actual demarcation cannot take place until Eritrea complies fully⁷ with the Algiers accord.

"Ethiopia cannot be blamed for any impasse⁸ that takes place," said Belay. "We have said we are ready for demarcation, but demarcation can only take place when the Algiers Agreement is fully respected by Eritrea, so the ball is now fully in Eritrea's court."

Meanwhile, tensions along the border are said to be as high as they have been in years. Military observers in the region are reporting troop movements on both sides, as the rivals prepare for a possible resumption of hostilities⁹.

1 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

2 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

5 extraneous   

adj.体外的；外来的；外部的

参考例句：

• I can choose to ignore these extraneous thoughts.我可以选择无视这些外来的想法。
• Reductant from an extraneous source is introduced.外来的还原剂被引进来。

6 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

9 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。