Summary:<\/p>\n

\n
• Opportunities exist for external efforts to foster improved relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. This will involve questioning some of the underlying assumptions about their conflict and current regional dynamics. A fresh approach should involve engagement with each country individually, rather than immediate attempts to promote dialogue between them.<\/li>\n
• The initial focus should be on promoting the conditions in each country for an eventual confident re-engagement with the other. It is important to avoid a narrow focus on the specifics of the border conflict, and post-conflict boundary demarcation, which has hitherto dominated external engagement.<\/li>\n
• Economic incentives are central to enabling improved relations between the two states. However, the prospective economic benefits of re-opening the border will not be the initial catalyst for improved ties given that economic considerations were insufficient to prevent the war.<\/li>\n
• International engagement on areas of mutual interest, especially on trade and investment, could go some way to fostering a sense in Eritrea of stable economic sovereignty in the face of Ethiopia\u2019s economic and demographic predominance.<\/li>\n
• Waiting for a change of leadership before making significant efforts to engage is untenable. There is no guarantee that subsequent leaders would adopt a significantly different foreign policy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n

  [gview file=”http:\/\/ethiopianism.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/20140410EritreaEthiopiaMosley.pdf” height=”700px” width=”700px” save=”1″]<\/p>\n