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Ten Years on: A Look at the Legacy of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission

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Ethiopian Yearbook of International Law 2018

Part of the book series: Ethiopian Yearbook of International Law ((EtYIL,volume 2018))

Abstract

This paper analyses the work of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, which was established in December 2000 to adjudicate claims for loss, damage and injury arising from violations of international law that occurred during the 1998–2000 conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. In particular, this paper critically considers some of the Commission’s legal and practical innovations and attempts, from its analysis, to draw out some key lessons for future bodies that may have to work under similar situations with similar mandates. After providing contextual background on the conflict and the efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of it in the first section, the second section of this paper describes the workings of the Commission. In the third section, the authors seek to critically analyse the legal and practical contributions of the Commission. The fourth section is devoted to considering the circumstances under which the constitution of such a body is appropriate. As part of this section, and with specific reference to the Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute, the paper weighs the strengths of such bodies against bodies with a purely fact-finding mandate. The fifth and final section then presents a summary of the key findings of the paper.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a detailed review of recent agreements between Ethiopia and Eritrea, see Desta (this volume), pp. 261–268.

  2. 2.

    Gray (2006), p. 703.

  3. 3.

    UNSC (2000), para. 111.

  4. 4.

    U.S. Department of State (1998).

  5. 5.

    UNSC (1998).

  6. 6.

    Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Eri.-Eth., 18 June 2000, 2138 U.N.T.S. 86, paras. 1, 9 (‘Cessation Agreement’).

  7. 7.

    Paras. 2-3, 12, Cessation Agreement.

  8. 8.

    Agreement, Eri.-Eth., 12 December 2000, 2138 U.N.T.S. 94, 40 I.L.M. 260 (‘Algiers Agreement’).

  9. 9.

    Article 1, Algiers Agreement.

  10. 10.

    See Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, Ethiopia’s Claims 1-8 (19 December 2005), 45 I.L.M. 430 (2006) para. 3 (‘Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum’).

  11. 11.

    Greppi (2009), p. 61.

  12. 12.

    UNSC (2001), para. 2.

  13. 13.

    Article 5(6), Algiers Agreement.

  14. 14.

    Holtzmann and Kristjánsdóttir (2007), p. 308.

  15. 15.

    Id. pp. 362–363.

  16. 16.

    Article 5(1), Algiers Agreement.

  17. 17.

    Article 5(1), (13), Algiers Agreement.

  18. 18.

    Article 19(2)(d), Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Rules of Procedure (October 2001) (‘Rules of Procedure’).

  19. 19.

    Article 5(8), Algiers Agreement.

  20. 20.

    Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Decision No. 3, Remedies (August 2001).

  21. 21.

    Gray (2004), p. 97.

  22. 22.

    Weeramantry (2009) p. 241.

  23. 23.

    Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, para. 6.

  24. 24.

    United Nations, Charter of the United Nations, October 24 1945, 1 UNTS XVI, Article 51(‘UN Charter’).

  25. 25.

    Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, para. 11.

  26. 26.

    ICJ, Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States), Merits, Judgement, (1986) ICJ Rep 14, para. 195.

  27. 27.

    Randelzhofer (2002), p. 796.

  28. 28.

    See for example, Gray (2006).

  29. 29.

    Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, paras. 3–5.

  30. 30.

    Article 4(2), Algiers Agreement.

  31. 31.

    Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, para. 15.

  32. 32.

    For a more detailed study of the Jus Ad Bellum Award, see Yiallourides and Yihdego (this volume), pp. 35–62.

  33. 33.

    Kidane (2007), p. 86.

  34. 34.

    Partial Award, Central Front, Ethiopia’s Claim 2 (28 April 2004), 43 I.L.M. 1275 (2004) para.112 (Partial Award, Ethiopia’s Central Front Claim’).

  35. 35.

    Id. para. 111.

  36. 36.

    Venturini (2009), p. 303.

  37. 37.

    Partial Award, Prisoners of War, Eritrea’s Claim No, 17 (1 July 2003), 42 I.L.M. 1083 (2003), para. 40 (‘Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim’).

  38. 38.

    Id. para. 33.

  39. 39.

    Id. Para. 34.

  40. 40.

    Partial Award, Western Front, Aerial Bombardment and Related Claims, Eritrea’s Claims 1, 3, 5, 9–13, 14, 21, 25 & 26 (Dec. 19, 2005), 45 I.L.M. 396 (2006), para. 95 (‘Partial Award, Eritrea’s Western Front, Aerial Bombardment and Related Claims’).

  41. 41.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s POW Claim, para. 61.

  42. 42.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim, para. 41.

  43. 43.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s Western Front, Aerial Bombardment and Related Claims, para. 103.

  44. 44.

    Id. paras. 104, 105.

  45. 45.

    Partial Award, Prisoners of War, Ethiopia’s Claim No. 4 (1 July 2003), 42 I.L.M. 1056 (2003) para. 120 (‘Partial Award, Ethiopia’s POW Claim’).

  46. 46.

    Henckaerts, Doswald-Beck (2005a) (Vol. 1), pp. 428–431.

  47. 47.

    Henckaerts, Doswald-Beck (2005b) (Vol. 2), pp. 2778–2787.

  48. 48.

    Partial Award, Central Front, Eritrea’s Claims 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 & 22 (April 28, 2004), 43 I.L.M. 1249 (2004), para. 24.

  49. 49.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s Central Front Claim, para. 51.

  50. 50.

    Id.

  51. 51.

    Article 14(1), Rules of Procedure.

  52. 52.

    Article 14(4), Rules of Procedure.

  53. 53.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim, para. 46; Partial Award, Ethiopia’s POW Claim, para. 37.

  54. 54.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s POW Claim, para. 54.

  55. 55.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, para. 36; Final Award, Ethiopia’s Damages Claims, para. 36.

  56. 56.

    Id.

  57. 57.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim, para. 56.

  58. 58.

    Id. para. 81.

  59. 59.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s Central Front Claim, para. 66.

  60. 60.

    Partial Award, Civilians Claims, Eritrea’s Claims 15, 16, 23 & 27–32 (17 December 2004), 44 I.L.M. 601 (2005), para. 157 (‘Partial Award, Eritrea’s Civilians Claims’).

  61. 61.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s POW Claim, para. 6.

  62. 62.

    Id. para. 88.

  63. 63.

    Sommario (2009), p. 403.

  64. 64.

    Partial Award, Ethiopia’s Central Front Claim, para. 40.

  65. 65.

    Id. para. 41.

  66. 66.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, para. 37; Final Award, Ethiopia’s Damages Claims, para. 37.

  67. 67.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, paras. 66–67.

  68. 68.

    Id. para. 70.

  69. 69.

    Id. para. 72.

  70. 70.

    Klein (2004), p. 245.

  71. 71.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s Civilians Claim, paras. 6, 7.

  72. 72.

    Id. para. 41.

  73. 73.

    Id. para. 43.

  74. 74.

    Id. para. 46.

  75. 75.

    Kidane (2007), p. 54.

  76. 76.

    ICJ, Nottebohm, Liechtenstein v Guatemala, Preliminary Objection (Second phase), Judgment, [1955] ICJ Rep 4.

  77. 77.

    See Brownlie (2003), p. 19.

  78. 78.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s Civilians Claim, para. 50.

  79. 79.

    Id. paras. 50, 52, 53.

  80. 80.

    As per the formal Agreed Minute. See Id. para 52.

  81. 81.

    Article 5(10), Algiers Agreement; Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, para. 70.

  82. 82.

    UNSC (2001), para. 5.

  83. 83.

    Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Decision No. 2: Claims Categories, Forms and Procedures (Aug. 2001); Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission (‘Decision No. 2’), Decision No. 5: Multiple Claims in the Mass Claims Process, Fixed-Sum Compensation at the $500 and $1500 Levels, Multiplier for Household claims (Aug. 2001).

  84. 84.

    Decision No. 2, §A.

  85. 85.

    Article 32, Rules of Procedure.

  86. 86.

    Article 32(1), Rules of Procedure.

  87. 87.

    Article 32(2), Rules of Procedure.

  88. 88.

    Id.

  89. 89.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 57.

  90. 90.

    Murphy et al. (2013), pp. 88–89.

  91. 91.

    Ethiopia used the forms in the Prisoner of War Proceedings. See Commission’s characterisation of the forms in Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim, paras. 40–41.

  92. 92.

    Eritrea used data from claim forms in the damages phase in an effort to quantify the loss of personal and business property. See Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, para. 32.

  93. 93.

    Partial Award, Eritrea’s POW Claim, paras. 66–67.

  94. 94.

    Article 5(8), Algiers Agreement provides that “[A]ll claims submitted to the Commission shall be filed no later than one year from the effective date of this agreement…”.

  95. 95.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 67.

  96. 96.

    See generally, Houtte et al. (2008).

  97. 97.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims §XI.

  98. 98.

    Id. §XII.

  99. 99.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 409.

  100. 100.

    Final Award, Ethiopia’s Damages Claims, para. 18.

  101. 101.

    Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Decision No. 8, Relief to War Victims (27 July 2007), para. 2.

  102. 102.

    Id. para. 5.

  103. 103.

    Id. para. 6.

  104. 104.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 408.

  105. 105.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, §IX.

  106. 106.

    Article 5(1), Algiers Agreement.

  107. 107.

    Final Award, Eritrea’s Damages Claims, para. 239.

  108. 108.

    Dybnis (2011), p. 273.

  109. 109.

    Yihdego (2012), p. 6.

  110. 110.

    Id. pp. 5–6.

  111. 111.

    Article 3(1), Algiers Agreement.

  112. 112.

    Article 3(2), Algiers Agreement.

  113. 113.

    Plaut (2005), p. 111.

  114. 114.

    Lata (2003) p. 369, 380.

  115. 115.

    Gilkes and Plaut (1999), pp. 21–22.

  116. 116.

    Id. pp. 24–25.

  117. 117.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 399.

  118. 118.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 409.

  119. 119.

    Partial Award, Jus Ad Bellum, para. 5.

  120. 120.

    For example, see Partial Award, Central Front, Eritrea’s Claims 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 22, para. 6 (Apr. 28, 2004), 43 I.L.M. 1249 (2004).

  121. 121.

    Murphy et al. (2013), p. 404.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Al Tamimi and Company, Dubai, UAE

    Thomas R. Snider

  2. National Law Institute University, Bhopal, India

    Aishwarya Suresh Nair

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  1. Thomas R. Snider
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  2. Aishwarya Suresh Nair
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Correspondence to Thomas R. Snider .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

    Zeray Yihdego

  2. Faculty of Business and Law, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

    Melaku Geboye Desta

  3. Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Martha Belete Hailu

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Snider, T.R., Nair, A.S. (2019). Ten Years on: A Look at the Legacy of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission. In: Yihdego, Z., Desta, M., Hailu, M. (eds) Ethiopian Yearbook of International Law 2018. Ethiopian Yearbook of International Law, vol 2018. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24078-3_2

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