The Role of the International Community in the Eritrean Refugee Crisis

Abstract

This paper examines the role of the international community in the Eritrean refugee crisis. It critically analyses the international community's, as represented by UN, AU, EU and US, failure to fulfill its obligation. The UN, OAU, EU and US were witnesses and guarantors of the Algiers Agreement. As such, they assumed responsibility of making sure of the implementation of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission Verdict. The Algiers Agreement empowered the guarantors to invoke UN Chapter VII, if one or both of the parties violates its commitment. Fourteen years later the EEBC Verdict is awaiting implementation with immense consequence to Eritrea. Deriving from text analysis and drawing on previous research I argue in this article that the international community by failing to fulfill its legal obligation contributed to the current Eritrean refugee crisis. It is the contention of this article only the unconditional implementation of the boundary commission that brings peace and stability to the region that would stem the flow of the refugees.