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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Annan recommends extending UNMEE mandate
NAIROBI, 27 Sep 2006 (IRIN) - The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended a six-month extension to the mandate of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), but warned that arrests, detentions and expulsions of mission staff by Eritrean authorities were "particularly troubling".
In his latest report to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Annan warned of the potential for disaster if the "untenable" stalemate between the two sides was not resolved.
UNMEE's mandate is due to end on 30 September, but Annan recommends an extension until 31 March 2007. "Four years after the 2002 decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, I remain deeply concerned about the stalemate in the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process," he said in a report presented by his envoy, Azouz Ennifar.
"The situation in the Horn of Africa remains politically tense and fragile. The continuing conflict in Somalia and the unresolved crisis affecting Darfur contribute to the instability affecting the region," Annan added.
He repeated calls for all restrictions on UNMEE to be lifted and for detained staff to be released without delay.
Meanwhile, UNMEE has called on Eritrea to cooperate in investigating the arrest and detention last month of a staff member for allegedly trying to smuggle Eritrean nationals out of the country, as well as allegations against other personnel.
The Eritrean police claim that some UNMEE staff members engage in illegal activities, citing a member it claimed was apprehended while smuggling Eritrean youths from Asmara to Adigrat in August. He had been paid money and claimed his colleagues were engaged in similar activities, the police said.
"The Mission has not been formally notified by competent Eritrean authorities of the case or presented with any evidence thereon," UNMEE said in a statement on Tuesday. "To date, UNMEE has not been granted access to the staff member or received formal communication with specific information."
Two weeks ago, the UN Staff Council's Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service accused Eritrea of harassing UN staff in the country, saying Asmara's actions against its employees were illegal under international law.
The accusation followed the expulsion on 5 September of five other UNMEE employees, who were given 24 hours to leave Eritrea on allegations of "spying".
Frustrated by the lack of progress in resolving its border dispute with Ethiopia, Eritrea banned UNMEE flights over its territory in October 2005 and expelled some of the mission staff. The move has hampered the peacekeepers’ ability to monitor the volatile border zone.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have been in a stand-off over the demarcation of their 1,000 km border, after fighting a war over it from 1998 to 2000. UNMEE is mandated to monitor the ceasefire along the disputed border.
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This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006
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