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In Africa, Two Warring Nations Poised for Peace

Aired June 17, 2000 - 8:07 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: In Africa, two warring nations are poised for peace -- or are they? Eritrean and Ethiopian diplomats are expected to sign a peace treaty in Algiers Sunday. The inking of the agreement could end a two-year border war between the two.

But as CNN's Alena Fuhrman explains, it may take much more to end the fighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALENA FUHRMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The announcement of Ethiopia's agreement to a cease-fire plan came hours after the government announced that its forced retake even a key town Western Eritrea, near the border with Sudan. The town of Tessany (ph) has been a center of fierce fighting for weeks. Ethiopian forces first took Tessany in early June, but Eritrean recaptured the town a few days later.

Tens of thousands of soldiers are estimated to have died in the conflict. Ethiopia says it will not withdraw from Eritrean territory until the United Nations sends peacekeepers to patrol a 25-kilometer buffer zone inside Eritrea, along their disputed border.

Secretary-General Koffi Annan says the U.N. will back the efforts to enforce the truce. In the statement, he said "The United Nations will support all efforts toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict."

Three U.N. officials are discussing plans for the deployment of a peacekeeping force. Their recommendations will then have to be approved by the Security Council. Some Western diplomats say a force of about 2,000 troops or more is needed, and that it could take several months to deploy them in the area. In addition to the war, millions of Ethiopians and Eritreans are also facing the threat of famine caused by a severe drought. A UNICEF mission, led by executive direct Carol Bellamy, is visiting the region to evaluate the relief supplies needed to avert a disaster.

CAROL BELLAMY, UNICEF EXEC. DIR.: First, the peace. Secondly, getting the peacekeepers in. Third, and right now, what is needed is food, medicines, water -- humanitarian intervention, and it has to come quickly, because the rains will start in about three or four weeks, and then we'll be confronted with things like Malaria and other diseases. FUHRMAN: For now, the guns have fallen silent, but even though no clashes have been reported since Thursday, many doubt that the conflict will end when the peace agreement is signed this weekend. There are fears that any disagreements in subsequent negotiations could trigger new fighting.

Alena Fuhrman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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