With this final award in eritreas claims for damages, and its companion final award in ethiopias damages claims, the eritreaethiopia claims commission largely completes its work. The united nations high commission for refugees reported at the end of 2014 that 416,857 eritreans have lodged asylum claims or are registered as refugees, over 9 percent of the. The visible and invisible world of international claims. Panel 1 the legacy of the eritreaethiopia claims commission john crook, george washington university law school chiara giorgetti, university of richmond school of law sean d. Under the autocratic rule of ethiopian emperor haile selassie, eritrea s autonomy was eroded and in 1962 its status. The findings by the claims commission and the eebc in effect contradicted each other. Ari dybnis, was the eritreaethiopia claims commission merely a zerosum game. The commission notes that, in many situations, the choice of verbal formula to describe the necessary degree of connection will result in no difference in outcomes. Ethiopia has resisted implementing the decisions made by the eritreaethiopia border commission eebc, eritrea has imposed unilateral restrictions on the united nations mission in ethiopia and eritrea unmee, and both states have rejected the eebcs. On 19 december 2005, the eritreaethiopia claims commission the. Lalive, attorneysatlaw, geneva, switzerland associate, international arbitration, 2003 2005 principle associate in charge of the management of two international arbitrations at uncc worth several billion dollars. Among the more significant holdings of the commission were.
The aim of the article is to highlight several issues concerning the customary international law status of a number of international humanitarian law ihl treaty provisions that arose during the proceedings of the eritreaethiopia claims commission. Was the eritreaafiethiopia claims commission merely a zerosum. Eritrea ethiopia boundery commission eebc decisions. Ethiopias claim 6 between the federal democratic republic of ethiopia and the state of eritrea by the claims commission, composed of. Christine gray abstract the recent decision by the eritreaethiopia claims commission on the ius ad bellum claims of ethiopia that eritrea had violated the law on the use of force in starting the 1998 2000 war between the two states is a troubling one. All claims submitted to the commission shall be filed no later than one year from the effective date of this agreement. Idps returned or resettled but border tensions remain. The government of the state of eritrea and the government of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia the parties.
The eritreaethiopia claims commission and customary. Under the autocratic rule of ethiopian emperor haile selassie, eritreas autonomy was eroded and in 1962 its status. Professor sir elihu lauterpacht, cbe, qc, president prince bola adesumbo ajibola, san, kbe, cfr professor w. Eritreaethiopia claims commission, final award, pensions. Peace agreements digital collection eritreaethiopia agreement agreement between the government of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia. Category 1 claims of natural persons for unlawful expulsion from the country of their residence. In the agreement, the two parties reaffirmed the agreement on cessation of hostilities, which had been signed on 18 june 2000. The eritreaethiopia claims commission oversteps its. The eritreaethiopia boundary commission delivered its decision on delimitation of the border between eritrea and ethiopia to representatives of. The ethio eritrea claims commission on use of force.
Won kidane, civil liability for violations of international humanitarian law. Programs created as part of peace agreements include the 19962003 commission for real property claims of displaced persons and refugees crpc in bosnia and herzegovina and the 2000 eritrea ethiopia claims commission eecc. Finally in 2004, the eritrea ethiopia claims commission eecc, which was established to decide, through binding arbitration, claims brought by the two governments and their nationals, determined that those who had qualified to participate in the referendum had acquired dual nationality because both states continued to treat them as nationals. On august 17, 2009, the eritrea ethiopia claims commission issued its final awards on the claims of the two sides for injury and loss suffered during their 19982000 conflict. Following the breakout of armed conflict between the federal democratic republic of ethiopia ethiopia and the state of. Commission shall be made by a majority of the commissioners. The awards on liability and damages for violations of international humanitarian law of the eritrea ethiopia claims commission uncover both the extent of state responsibility for unlawful displacement and deportation of civilian population resulting from wrongful actions of belligerents under international law and the availability of remedies for victims of such violations. The level of organization of the armed actors 7878 contents 11. Finally in 2004, the eritreaethiopia claims commission eecc, which was established to decide, through binding arbitration, claims brought by the two governments and their nationals, determined that those who had qualified to participate in the referendum had acquired dual nationality because both states continued to treat them as nationals. Securing the peace between eritrea and ethiopia the recent assertion of the new prime minister of ethiopia, dr. Roots of the conflict between ethiopia and eritrea involve more than a poorly demarcated 1,000 km border. The algiers agreement was a peace agreement between the governments of eritrea and ethiopia signed on december 12, 2000, at algiers, algeria for the formal end the eritreanethiopian war, a border war fought by the two countries from 1998 to 2000.
The ethiopiaeritrea border conflict and the role of the. The awards on liability and damages for violations of international humanitarian law of the eritreaethiopia claims commission uncover both the extent of state responsibility for unlawful displacement and deportation of civilian population resulting from wrongful actions of belligerents under international law and the availability of remedies for victims of such violations. Eritrea ethiopia claims commission, 12 tilburg foreign l. The mandate of the commission is to decide through binding arbitration all claims for loss, damage or injury by one government against the other, and by nationals including both natural and juridical persons of one party against the government of the other party or entities.
Ethiopias refusal to withdraw its troops from badme 49 contents. Eritrea brought claims against ethiopia before the eritreaethiopia claims commission the commission, alleging that ethiopia wrongfully denationalised, expelled and detained thousands of ethiopian citizens of eritrean origin andor nationality in connection with the 19982000 armed conflict between the two countries. In december 2005, the eritrea ethiopia claims commission eecc rules meanwhile that eritrea violated international law when it invaded badme in 1998, at the start of the conflict. The court concluded that a large part of the western border sector will be awarded to eritrea near the yirga triangle. Eritreaethiopia, partial award on pows how does law. Ethiopias foreign minister, seyoum mesfin, announced the decision of the border commission on saturday at the ministry of foreign affairs. The damage awards of the eritreaethiopia claims commission, 9 the law and practice of international tribunals 1 2010. Ethiopia occupies eritrean territory, having reneged on a commitment, made in an agreement ending a twoyear war between the countries, to accept as final a border demarcated by a neutral border commission. On august 17, 2009, the eritreaethiopia claims commission issued its final awards on the claims of the two sides for injury and loss suffered during their 19982000 conflict. United nations a hfiih general assembly p security. Before joining the firm, she was the first general counsel for the korean peninsula energy development organization and, while with the us state department, the us agent to the iranus claims tribunal. Prisoners of war, ethiopias claim 4 paras 1 to 80 source. Pdf the eritreaethiopia claims commission and customary.
Since eritrea s independence, eritrea and ethiopia had disagreed about the exact demarcation of their borders, and in may 1998, eritrea initiated border clashes that developed into a fullscale war that left more than 80,000 dead and further destroyed both countries ailing economies. Eritreaethiopia, awards on occupation how does law. On april th 2002 the permanent court of arbitration in the hague published the conclusions of the eritrea ethiopia boundary commission. Specifically, two key issues will be analyzed, namely the commissions findings that the geneva conventions and some provisions of additional. Eritreaethiopia claims commission final award ethiopias damages. Displacement of civilians during armed conflict in the light. Ethiopia eritrea background to the ethiopia eritrea border. The recent decision by the eritreaethiopia claims commission on the ius ad bellum claims of ethiopia that eritrea had. Partial award prisoners of war ethiopias claim 4 between the federal democratic republic of ethiopia and the state of eritrea by the claims commission, composed of.
Pdf the eritreaethiopia conflict and the algiers agreement. Summary the canadian council for refugees ccr urges the minister of public safety to impose a moratorium on removals to eritrea in light of the systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations occurring throughout the country. Professor of law, penn state dickinson school of law. Displacement of civilians during armed conflict in the. Paul lucy reed the hague, december 19, 2005 partial awardjus ad bellumethiopias claims 18 between the claimant. Eritreaethiopia claims commission oversteps its boundaries.
The eritreaethiopia claims commission oversteps its boundaries. Asil insight september 4, 2009 eritreaethiopia claims. The ethioeritrea claims commission on use of force. Monetary payments for civilian harm in international and. United nations a hfiih general assembly p security council.
In 1991, while eritrea was still a part of ethiopia, both. Sep 24, 20 the aim of the article is to highlight several issues concerning the customary international law status of a number of international humanitarian law ihl treaty provisions that arose during the proceedings of the eritrea ethiopia claims commission. On 19 december 2005 the eritrea ethiopia claims commission decided on ethiopia s claims that eritrea had violated the rules of international law on the use of force in its partial award on the ius ad bellum claims of ethiopia. Review panel established under the convention on the conservation and. The war report armed conflicts in 2018 acknowledgements the war report 2018 was supervised and edited by dr annyssa bellal, strategic adviser on ihl and senior research fellow at the geneva academy of international. The commissions mandate temporal scope of jurisdiction under article 51 of the agreement of december 12, 2000 the agreement, the commission has jurisdiction over all claims for loss, damage or. The 1908 treaty delimits the eastern sector of the boundary by tracing it from rendacoma at a distance of 60 km parallel to the red sea coast in a southeasterly direction all the way to mount mussa ali at the point where the borders of eritrea, ethiopia and djibouti meet welde giorgis, 2014, 570582. Eritrea brought claims against ethiopia before the eritrea ethiopia claims commission the commission, alleging that ethiopia wrongfully denationalised, expelled and detained thousands of ethiopian citizens of eritrean origin andor nationality in connection with the 19982000 armed conflict between the two countries. He is a judge on natos administrative tribunal and frequently acts as arbitrator in international investment and other disputes in icsid, the permanent court of arbitration, and other settings.
Introduction violations of international humanitarian law1 are compensable. Eritreaethiopia boundary commission decision regarding. The role of international law and the state department legal adviser. Claims tribunal iusct, the united nations compensation commission uncc, and the eritreaethiopia claims commission eecc. For more detailed commentary on the work of the commission, see christine gray, the eritreaethiopia claims commission oversteps its boundaries. The commissions mandate temporal scope of jurisdiction under article 51 of the agreement of december 12, 2000 the agreement, the commission has jurisdiction over all claims for loss, damage or injury by one government against the other. If the inline pdf is not rendering correctly, you can download the pdf file here. Eritreaethiopia claims commission final award eritreas damages. You can access the damages decisions for eritrea here, and those for ethiopia here. He was a commissioner on the eritreaethiopia claims commission, which successfully addressed extensive claims following the two countries 1998. According to the ap, both sides will accept the awards, but neither is apparently thrilled with the final. It also provided the setting for a multitude of violations of humanitarian and human rights laws that were brought before the eritreaethiopia claims commission.
Current p university of richmond, school of law richmond. Eritrea continues to try to destabilize ethiopia by funding and arming insurrection. This statement is issued by the eritreaethiopia boundary commission the commission following its meeting in private session in the hague on 20 november 2006 to consider the further procedures to be followed in connection with the demarcation of the boundary between. The damage awards of the eritreaethiopia claims commission.
Yesterday, the eritreaethiopia claims commission awarded final damage awards for the fifteen partial and final awards on liability it rendered between july 1, 2003 and december 19, 2005. Romesh weeramantry in its seven partial awards and two final awards issued on 19 december 2005, the eritrea ethiopia claims commission1 has produced a significant body of case law on the subject of international armed conflict. Decision of the eritrea ethiopia boundery commission on the border between eritrea and ethiopia. The commission has decided that claims may be filed in the following six categories. The conflict also stems from disputes between the two sides over economic and political affairs, such as foreign policy and trade, dating from eritreas succession from ethiopia. Oct 24, 2018 6 eritrea ethiopia claims commission, pca case no.
After eritrea became independent in 1993, the state of eritrea eritrea and the federal democratic republic of ethiopia ethiopia entered into discussions and arrangements regarding the rights and obligations of the previously unitary state of ethiopia. While awarding badme to eritrea, the claims commission established under article 5 of the algiers agreement found eritrea to be the aggressor triggering the border conflict by invading badme, then administered by ethiopia. Matheson background in may 1998 an armed conflict broke out between eritrea and ethiopia that extended over two years and caused substantial loss of life, personal injury and economic damage. The bush administration in shaping foreign policy in times of crisis. Eritrea ethiopia boundary commission decision regarding delimitation of the border between the state of eritrea and the federal democratic republic of ethiopia by the boundary commission, composed of. The center for preventive action avoiding conflict in the. Eritreaethiopia claims commission, partial award, prisoners of war, ethiopias claim 4, between the federal democratic republic of ethiopia and the state of eritrea. Reids august 1999 report, entitled ethiopian nationals in asmara. Duration and cost of statestate arbitration proceedings. Er17 has been brought to the commission by the claimant, the state of eritrea eritrea, pursuant to article 5 of the agreement between the government of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia and the government of the state of eritrea of december 12, 2000 the agreement.
These included arrangements regarding the pensions of former ethiopian state employees, military personnel and. By a letter dated 7 june 2002 eritrea requested that the commission adopt an interim order. In particular, the commission placed badme, the border town over which the war had broken out, in eritrea. The eritreaethiopia conflict and the algiers agreement.
Eritreaethiopia claims commission awards final damages. An independent ethiopiaeritrea boundary commission eebc was mandated to delineate and demarcate the border, and released a legallybinding decision in april 2002 in favour of eritrea s territorial claims. The peace agreement signed between ethiopia and eritrea in. A report, as documentary annex a, volume 3, to eritreas countermemorial to ethiopias claim 5, filed by eritrea on january 15, 2004 in the civilians claims, and the commission heard dr. The 19982000 border war represents the highest point in the current eritreaethiopia conflict. One of ethiopias claims was that eritrea initiated the armed conflict by an illegal use of force. The parties shall file their briefs and supporting e idence on group. Reid as a witness in the hearing of those claims in march 2004. In may 1998, hostilities between ethiopia and eritrea led to a large scale war that began when eritrean forces occupied the border town o. Icj case ethiopia v eritrea by teimun newsletter issuu. A claims commission in 2005 found eritrea had violated international law by attacking ethiopia in 1998.