The Eritrea - Ethiopia Border and the Italy Ethiopia Treaty

July 8,1998

Dear Netters:

I have recently been trying to understand the Italy - Ethiopia treaty annex of 1902 which was supposed to establish the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Eritrea is claiming that the treaty establishes a straight line between the Tekezze and Mareb rivers as drawn on common maps that everyone has seen. However, upon reading the treaty itself (English version at Eritrean website Dehai), I see that Eritrea's claims are false. The frontier is actually specified as follows: (see attachment below)

Clearly this treaty was never fully implemented. There is no evidence presented that Ethiopian and Italian delegates ever went to the field to do the final delimitation.

In addition, the treaty is so short, and the language is rather vague that the intentions of the parties in signing the treaty (at least the official intentions) are not very clear.

But beyond that I have some basic questions, eg. Where is the river Maieteb located? Where is Mount Ala Tacura located? Where do the Kunama live? How did the commonly drawn straight line come about?

Well, folks, based on some of the latest materials I have read, it appears that Italy was being rather dishonest in its behavior towards Ethiopia. The map drawn by Italy does not follow the treaty. From what I can gather, Mount Ala Tacura and the Maieteb-Setit river junction are actually much further west than indicated by the straight boundary line which Eritrea refers to as the "colonial boundary."

This means that the true Eritrea - Ethiopia frontier (as set forth in the treaty) is quite different from what is presented in Italian maps, or any Ethiopian maps which are based on the Italian map.

The fact is that 1997 is the first time that Ethiopia has itself mapped the location of this border. Previous to this, everyone assumed that the Italian map was accurately representing the treaty.

I will post this material at my website this weekend, but in the meantime, I hope any Eritreans or others could give us better information about where the critical features mentioned in the treaty (Maiteb river and Mount Ala Tacura) are located.

The reason I am asking Eritreans is because the Eritrean president and his supporters have repeatedly claimed that the treaty is "unambigous," "leaves no room for doubt," "well-known," etc. etc.

I wonder what the Eritrean position is going to be if it can be demonstrated that the border drawn by Italy and now claimed by Eritrea, is fraudulent and violates the very treaty it is supposed to be based on.

- Dagmawi

Attachment

[It should be noted here that the current validity of these treaties has not yet been determined. It may be the case that they have little bearing on the eventual outcome of this case from a legal perspective]

May 1902 Treaty Frontier Between Ethiopia and Eritrea Art. I.-The frontier Treaty between Ethiopia and Eritrea, pre viously determined by the line Tomat-Todlue, is mutually modified in the following manner.

Commencing from the junction of the Khor Um Hagar with the Setit, the now frontier follows this river to its junction with the Maieteb, following the latter's course so as to leave Mount Ala Tacura to Eritrea, and joins the Mareb at its junction with the Mai Ambessa.

The line from the junction of the Setit and Maieteb to the junction of the Mareb and Mai Ambessa shall be delimited by Italian and Ethiopian delegates, so that the Canama [Kunama] tribe belong to Eritrea.