1. - During his first stay in the region from July 22nd to 25th, 1999, the  personal representative of the current OAU chairman requested from both  sides to proceed to the signing of the outline agreement and the terms, and  then move to their implementation.

   However, Ethiopia had then indicated that this signing should intervene  after the finalisation of the last details of implementation, also  requesting the OAU to work out these details and to subject them to the two  sides as nonnegotiable.

   For its part, Eritrea, which wished to proceed immediately to the signing of  the outline agreement and the terms, did not object to the preliminary  submission of the last details by the OAU, also accepting that this document  be regarded as nonnegotiable.

2. - Early last August, the OAU, with the assistance of the United Nations  (which would have to support the implementation of the peace plan), prepared  a document called "technical arrangements" containing the required details.  These technical arrangements were presented to the two sides by the personal  representative of the current OAU chairman between August 5th and 10th,  1999.

   Eritrea then officially announced its acceptance of the technical  arrangements. For its part, Ethiopia formulated objections on some  provisions, which it considered as different from the content of the outline  agreement and the terms, also requesting clarifications on these points.

3. - The clarifications requested by Ethiopia were worked out by the OAU again  with the assistance of the United Nations. During a new stay in the area at  the end of August, the personal representative of the current OAU chairman  gave these clarification to Ethiopia and also communicated them to Eritrea.  Ethiopia, which considered that this answer was not fully satisfactory, then  requested a time for consideration.

4. - A new visit carried out in the area by the personal representative of the  current OAU chairman at the end of last October did not enable moving the  situation forward. However, Ethiopia was requested to expose in writing its  views on the technical arrangements in order to allow their examination by  the OAU. Eritrea was informed of this situation.

5. - At the end of last November, Ethiopia addressed to the OAU a memorandum  containing its views on the technical arrangements. Talks were then held by  the OAU with Ethiopia to identify the vision of the technical arrangements  acceptable for this country, a vision that was consigned in a preparatory  document called "non paper".

6. - Between February 24th and March 4th, 2000, the personal representative of  the current OAU chairman stayed again in the region.

   On that occasion, he noted that the content of the "non paper" reflected  indeed the views acceptable for Ethiopia, and indicated to this side that he  was now going to solicit Eritrea so that it agrees to take part in new talks  intended to lead to "consolidated technical arrangements" acceptable for  both sides.

   This proposal was presented to Eritrea, which, after long talks, gave its  agreement in principle to take part in proximity talks. Ethiopia in turn  gave its agreement in principle to take part in these proximity talks.

   This new progress achieved by the peace process was announced in the  official statement made public by the OAU last March 5th, a statement which  also revealed the existence of points of convergence between the two sides  on the content of the technical arrangements, and which announced that the  proximity talks were intended to settle the points of divergences.

    

1. - The confirmation of the acceptance of the outline agreement and the  terms, and that the consolidated technical arrangements will have to reflect  the contents of the two above mentioned documents endorsed by Algiers OAU  summit

2. - The fact that the OAU is alone responsible for any interpretation of the  outline agreement and the terms.

3. - The commitments that the two sides will have to assume when they reach  the suspension of the hostilities (suspension of any terrestrial, air or  maritime attack, suspension of all other action likely to block the  implementation of the peace plan, guarantees of freedom of movement and of  protection for the international military observers, compliance to the rules  of international human rights).

4. - The two sides' agreement to entrust a neutral commission the  responsibility to check the territories where each side will have to  withdraw its forces from and where each side will proceed to the return of  its civil administration within the framework of the restoration of the  situation prevailing as of May 6th, 1998, all this in compliance with the  terms (other aspects of this procedure still have to be the subject of an  agreement).

5. - The necessary deadlines, once the implementation engaged, for the  redeployment of the troops and the return of the civil administration as  planned by the terms.

6. - The fact that neither the process of verification of the territories,  neither the redeployment of the troops, nor finally the return of the civil  administration, will prejudge the final status of the concerned territories,  which will be defined within the framework of the delimitation of the  international border between the two countries.

7. - The procedures that will guide the delimitation and the demarcation of  the international border by the United Nations cartographic unit (which will  work in neutrality and transparency), as well as the procedures of  setting-up of the arbitration mechanisms that would have to settle the  possible dispute related to this operation. The same goes for each side's  acknowledged right to subject to the UN cartographic unit any element in its  possession, including documents and oral exposes, and the right to comment  on the results reached by this institution.

He then asked both the Ethiopian and Eritrean delegations to transmit to  their respective higher national authorities the pressing call made by the  current OAU chairman on behalf of Africa that they display more restraint,  reassess their position at the light of the current blocking, and finally,  accept to dispatch later on their delegation for indirect talks intended to  approach the heart of the remaining problems, namely to finalise the  consolidated technical arrangements in conformity with the outline agreement  and the terms, and thus to allow the implementation of the peace plan  endorsed by the OAU and the United Nations for the peaceful and final  settlement of the fratricidal conflict opposing the two countries.

The personal representative of the current OAU chairman also recalled to the  two sides that the OAU, the United Nations, and the partners who support  this process of peace, committed themselves to follow closely and support an  honest implementation of the plan for the settlement of the conflict  opposing Ethiopia to Eritrea.

This very call and commitment were then reiterated to each of the two sides  by the United States delegation and the one representing the European Union,  which were present in Algiers as part of their support to OAU's efforts.