By Simegnish Yekoye

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 8, 2007 – The absence of a follow-up policy for ensuring accelerated delineation and demarcation and, equally important, for promoting border cooperation lead to unintended contrary effects, said AU’s commissioner for peace and security, Said Djinnit.

During the opening of the conference of African ministers in charge of border issues in Addis Ababa earlier this week Djinnit pointed out the absence of a concerted policy articulation and systematic practice of cross-border cooperation has also led to the unwanted problems.

“Since the attainment of independence by our states, most of these boundaries are ill-defined and un-demarcated,” said Djinnit and it has become an imperative to put in place an innovative and imaginative program for the pragmatic management of inter-African borders.

Asked to comment on the situation of Ethio - Eritrean border issue, Djinnit said it is only one of so many border problems in Africa and the purpose of the meeting is not to discuss a specific case but to discuss policy framework document.

The border program, which constitutes one of the main components of the AU plan of action for 2004-2007, has as its principal goal, the promotion of a novel form of pragmatic border management that would ensure a climate of peace, security, stability, cooperation and sustainable development in Africa.

“The aim of the program is not the re-drawing of the inherited boundaries,” said the commissioner “on the contrary, the present boundaries are to be identified and clearly demarcated.”

During the 8th ordinary session held in Addis Ababa last January the assembly of heads of state and government encouraged the commission to pursue its efforts on structural prevention of conflicts, including through the implementation of the border program of the AU.

For the last four days the conference participants from 39 countries have discussed on policy issues and questions to be resolved on the delimitation and demarcation of the inter-state boundaries, the promotion and development of cross-border cooperation, the development of the capacity needed and the necessity for external resource mobilization and collaboration with African development partners.

The emphasis on the principles of sacro-sanctity and inviolability of the inherited boundaries was placed at the first ordinary session of the conference of heads of states and government of OAU in Egypt in 1964.

Since African countries gained independence, the borders, which were drawn during the colonial period in a context of rivalries between European countries and their scramble for territories in Africa, have been a recurrent source of conflicts on the continent.

Source: The Sub-Saharan Informer