Bure, Africa
Encyclopedia
Bure is a small disputed area on the border between Eritrea
and Ethiopia
, about 50 miles west of Asseb with a latitude and a longitude of 12°37′N 42°12′E. Eritrea considers Bure to be a part of its Southern Red Sea
Zone, while Ethiopia considers Bure part of Administrative Zone 1
of its Afar Region
. This area lies across the important Awash
-Asseb highway, which in the past has been an important trucking route.
Bure fell under Eritrean control after several weeks of fighting in May-June 1998. Eritrea said that Ethiopia had started an offensive at Bure by dropping bombs on the front-lines on 14 February 1999. The fighting in the area continued through the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
, with each side claiming it had inflicted heavy casualties on the other, until they agreed to a cease-fire.
The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission determined in 2002 that the Bure lay on the Ethiopian side of the border. Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia soured in November 2005, when 20 Ethiopian soldiers occupied a portion of this area for several days. After peace-keeping troops from United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
intervened, the Ethiopian troops withdrew.
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, about 50 miles west of Asseb with a latitude and a longitude of 12°37′N 42°12′E. Eritrea considers Bure to be a part of its Southern Red Sea
Southern Red Sea
The Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea is one of the six main regions of Eritrea. It lies along the southern half of the Red Sea, and contains the coastal city of Asseb. It borders the Northern Red Sea Region, and has an area of around 27,600km²....
Zone, while Ethiopia considers Bure part of Administrative Zone 1
Administrative Zone 1 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 1 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 3, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Administrative Zones 4 and 2, on the north by Eritrea, and on the...
of its Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
. This area lies across the important Awash
Awash
Awash is a market town in central Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 3 of the Afar Region, above a gorge on the Awash River, after which the town is named, the town lies on the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway, which crosses the gorge by a bridge there...
-Asseb highway, which in the past has been an important trucking route.
Bure fell under Eritrean control after several weeks of fighting in May-June 1998. Eritrea said that Ethiopia had started an offensive at Bure by dropping bombs on the front-lines on 14 February 1999. The fighting in the area continued through the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
Eritrean-Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...
, with each side claiming it had inflicted heavy casualties on the other, until they agreed to a cease-fire.
The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission determined in 2002 that the Bure lay on the Ethiopian side of the border. Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia soured in November 2005, when 20 Ethiopian soldiers occupied a portion of this area for several days. After peace-keeping troops from United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea was established by the United Nations Security Council in July 2000 to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea....
intervened, the Ethiopian troops withdrew.