| | After two postponements in February and March, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's keenly awaited Decision was finally published on 13 April 2002. The Decision is an important milestone on the road to peace between these two countries, after a two-year war which began with localised border disputes and ended only after a full-scale Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea, the loss of some 45-50,000 lives, the displacement of 300,000 people, mass expulsions, massive economic, infrastructural and development costs, the stoking up of conflicts across the region, a legacy of mistrust and loss of trade between the two states and lost livelihoods in border areas, and serious political repercussions for the two leaderships which are still being played out. |
