Ethiopia

摘要

Following the civil war against the military-led Mengistu regime that ended in 1991, the former national military was disbanded. The new government then began the process of transforming the militia forces that had fought against the regime into the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The military transformation proved to be a protracted process, with ranks and conventional units only being adopted in 1996. The process was further complicated by the outbreak of a border war with Eritrea in 1998 over territorial claims. The international community (spearheaded by the United States) and the Organization of African Unity became involved, requesting that both sides end the hostilities. In an attempt to mediate, the U.S. and Rwanda submitted the U.S.-Rwanda proposal, calling for Eritrean forces to withdraw to their pre-May 12, 1998, position. Despite these efforts, the conflict ended in 2000 without a peaceful resolution to the border conflict.