The African Unity welcomed Friday a five-point proposal by Ethiopia for a peaceful resolution of its border dispute with Eritrea. The proposal, presented by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and approved by parliament, also includes the country's decision to resume payment of its dues to the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission (EEBC), and to appoint field liaison officers to work along the border with the Commission on the demarcation process of the disputed border. A.U. Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said in a statement that the measures announced by Ethiopia constitute "an encouraging development" towards promoting lasting peace between the two countries. "These steps, along with the reiteration by Ethiopia that the dispute with Eritrea can only be resolved through peaceful means and the commitment to immediately start dialogue with the view to implementing the EEBC decision, constitute an encouraging development in the efforts to promote lasting peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as in the region of the Horn of Africa as a whole," Konare stated. He also expressed the commitment of the AU "to provide whatever assistance necessary to help the two countries move forward with the implementation of the EEBC decision and the normalization of their relations".
