ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Security Council extends UNMEE mandate

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NAIROBI, 14 Sep 2005 (IRIN) - The UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) on Tuesday until 15 March 2006, but expressed concern over the high concentration of troops from both parties near the border, over which the countries fought a two-year war.

According to the resolution, the Council "calls upon Ethiopia to accept fully the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission and to enable, without preconditions, the Commission to demarcate the border completely and promptly."

Efforts by the international community to resolve the border dispute between the two countries since the end of a bloody war in 2000 have so far been fruitless.

Under the terms of the 2000 Algiers Peace Agreement that ended the fighting, both sides agreed to accept as binding a ruling by an independent boundary commission on where the border should be.

After initially rejecting the commission�s decision, Ethiopia in November 2004 accepted the ruling "in principle", but called for dialogue on its implementation in disputed areas of the shared 1,000 km border.

Eritrea, on the other hand, rejected the idea of dialogue and insisted on full implementation of the commission's decision beforehand.

The Council appealed to the two Horn of Africa countries to avoid any action that might escalate tension and urged them to give serious consideration to returning to the 16 December 2004 levels of deployment. It also asked them to refrain from any threat of use of force against each other.

The Security Council also approved the "reconfiguration" of UNMEE's military component, including an increase in the number of military observers by 10.

The UNMEE has about 3,000 peacekeepers patrolling the border, an area known as the Temporary Security Zone.

The Council urged both parties to cooperate fully and expeditiously with UNMEE, to ensure the security of all staff, and to unconditionally remove all restrictions and impediments to the work and full and free movement of UNMEE and its staff.

Eritrea was strongly urged to remove restrictions on UNMEE military police in Asmara, the capital, and to take immediate steps, in consultation with the mission, towards implementing the direct UN flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara. The Council also urged Eritrea to reopen the Asmara-to-Barentu road to UNMEE traffic.

The Council noted the improved climate of cooperation between the mission and both parties.

It expressed concern over the ongoing food shortages in the countries and their potential to cause greater instability. UN member states were urged to continue to provide support for humanitarian and development activities. The Council also advised Eritrea to lift all restrictions imposed on the operations of aid organisations.

[ENDS]