Eritrea in breach of fundamental principles of peacekeeping-UN

06 March 2008 (UN noon briefing)

The Secretary-General’s special report on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea is out as a document today. In it, the Secretary-General warns that restrictions imposed by Eritrea on the Mission are unacceptable and in breach of the fundamental principles of peacekeeping. They also bear serious implications for the safety and security of peacekeepers deployed elsewhere.

As a party to theCessation of Hostilities, under which Eritrea and Ethiopia invited the UN to deploy peacekeepers on their territory, the Secretary-General says that Eritrea has an obligation to treat the peacekeepers with respect and dignity, and to guarantee their safety and security. Eritrea must also ensure the peacekeepers’ right to move freely and perform their mandated tasks without any restrictions.

The Secretary-General asks Eritrea to reconsider its position, resume fuel supplies to the peacekeepers, lift all restrictions on the Mission, and allow it to function as mandated by the Security Council.

Meanwhile, the just-completed regrouping in Asmara and Assab under a contingency plan, leaves the peacekeepers in ad hoc, substandard and congested accommodation. The initially planned temporary move to Ethiopia would be a lengthy and complex exercise, with the relocation of equipment likely to take up to three months.

In the light of this, the Secretary-General has instructed the Mission to send the military staff to their home countries, pending a final decision of the Security Council on the future of the Mission. Some 60 civilian staff, including the Deputy Special Representative and the Chief of Mission Support, will remain in Asmara to liaise with Eritrea.

Once the relocation is complete, the Secretary-General intends to send a further report with options and recommendations for any future UN peacekeeping presence in the area. He regrets that fundamental political and legal issues at the centre of the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea remain unresolved and a source of continued tensions between the two countries.