Remaining issues from Soccer War resolved

Last week El Salvador and Honduras finalized an agreement defining the border between the countries. The border agreement marked the final resolution of the 1969 "Soccer War" between the two countries. Between July 14 and July 20, 1969, the two countries fought a bloody battle which killed as many as 5000 and displaced tens of thousands. The war is called the Soccer War because it began after a bitterly contested series of three World Cup soccer qualifying matches between the two neighboring countries. El Salvador initiated hostilities when its army moved into Honduras. After more than four days of fighting, a cease fire was called under pressure from the US and the Organization of American States. Still, a peace agreement was not signed until 1980, and it took a 1992 decision by the International Court of Justice to settle the boundary issues. Last week's agreement resolved the final controversy over the exact placement of the border.

You can learn more about the 1969 Soccer War at SoccerBlog.com, at Wikipedia, and at the OnWar.com web site.