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UN observers take up forward positions between Ethiopia and Eritrea
23 October -- United Nations military observers were sent today to key forward positions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in a deployment that would complete the second stage of a three-phase peacekeeping operation set up by the UN Security Council last July.

The 100 observers will work to build confidence between the two sides and support the peace process. They came from 22 different countries to work as part of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which was set up to monitor the end of hostilities between the two countries following their two-year border war. The UN troops will also help in ensuring the observance of security commitments.

In preparation for the deployment, the military observers went through intensive training over the past week on a range of operational, political and security issues, including landmine awareness. As part of their mandate, they will be conducting UN mine action co-ordination and liaison activities.

The new observers were deployed today from Addis Ababa and Asmara to supplement existing observer team sites and open new ones. From Asmara, they are being sent to reinforce teams in Asab, Adi Keyh, Adi Quala and Barentu, and to open a new team site in Shambiko. From Addis Ababa, observers are deploying to bolster teams in Inda Silase, Zalambesa, Adigrat, and Manda and open new sites in Rama and Shiraro.

The next phase of the peacekeeping operation involves establishing and monitoring a temporary security zone which will be set up following military redeployments by both parties, as set out in their Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities. Signed on 18 June, that accord called upon the UN, in cooperation with the Organization of African Unity, to establish a peacekeeping operation to assist in the Agreement's implementation. The Security Council then created UNMEE to monitor the temporary security zone, the cessation of hostilities and the agreed repositioning of troops from both sides. During the next phase of its operation, the Mission will reach its mandated strength of 4,200 peacekeeping troops, including up to 220 military observers.