Panel to discuss Yemen, Eritrea dispute on Monday
09:12 a.m. Aug 29, 1997 Eastern
SANAA, Aug 29 (Reuter) - Yemen and Eritrea will file claims with an
arbitration panel on
Monday in an effort to resolve a dispute over Red Sea islands near busy
oil tanker routes, a
senior Yemeni official said on Friday.
Both countries claim sovereignty over the small, arid Hanish islands
and the dispute led to clashes
in 1995 in which at least 12 people were killed.
``Yemen and Eritrea will submit their claim documents to the
arbitration panel expected to meet
on Monday,'' Yemen's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Abdul Rahman told
Reuters.
The two countries would then have three months to file their responses
to the rival claims.
Yemen and Eritrea, on opposite sides of the Red Sea, signed an
agreement last October setting
up the arbitration body, which is to meet in London.
The five-judge panel has the final say on the ownership of the disputed
islands and Abdul
Rahman said Yemen would abide by any decision.
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