In an attempt to peacefully resolve the border dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti, a delegation led by the foreign ministers Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea dispatched to Djibouti this morning .

“The delegation will consult with Djibouti on how to resolve the border conflict with Eritrea peacefully…We want to make the region to be free from war and become peaceful,” said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who spoke about his visit to Asmara upon arrival at Addis Ababa Airport this morning.



After Qatar withdrew its peacekeeping force from the disputed area in June 2017, tensions remain between the two neighbors.

The decision to send the delegation has followed the tripartite agreement signed yesterday in Asmara by leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

Djibouti and Eritrea have been in dispute over the Dumeira Mountain and Dumeira Island which Djibouti claims is being illegally occupied by Eritrea. In July 2018 Djibouti has indicated that it is seeking the assistance of the UN to resolve a border dispute with neighboring Eritrea.

Djibouti’s Ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Siad Doualeh, in a letter to the Security Council said, they wanted help with international mediation with Eritrea.

The letter stated that “Eritrean forces continue to occupy Djiboutian territory, prisoners of war remain unaccounted for, threats of force continue to emanate from the Eritrean side and the risk of violent confrontation is once again high,” Doualeh said stressing that the requested settlement will help avoid any escalation of the crisis.

It is expected that the two countries will end the dispute, like Ethiopia and Eritrea recently restored peaceful diplomatic relations after close to two decades of hostility.