UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea set to begin final phase of deployment
2 November - With some 100 United Nations military observers now on the ground in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the UN mission overseeing a peace agreement between the two countries has completed the second phase of its deployment, a UN spokesman announced today.
The Mission, known by its acronym UNMEE, is now preparing for its final phase, which involves the deployment of up to 4,200 military personnel in the two countries, the spokesman told reporters at a briefing in New York.
During the next several weeks, military specialists, wearing UN patches and blue berets, will be arriving in the Mission area to help pave the way for the arrival of thousands of troops. The specialists will "conduct detailed reconnaissance in those areas where their national contingents are likely to be deployed as members of the peacekeeping force," the spokesman said.
Drawn from the military forces of the Netherlands, Canada, Jordan, Kenya, Denmark and Italy, the reconnaissance teams include experts in logistics, operations, communications and aviation. In assessing possible locations where their nationals will be deployed, the teams are expected to look into the availability of water, communication facilities, and transportation access for road vehicles and aircraft. They will also be exploring sites and access routes that are free of landmines.
The Security Council set up UNMEE in July to monitor a temporary security zone between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the cessation of hostilities and the agreed repositioning of troops from both sides.
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