SC expresses grave concern over Eritrea’s ban
of UN flights
4 October 2005, United Nations - The Security Council
tonight called upon the Government of Eritrea to reverse its decision to
restrict all helicopter flights of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and
Eritrea (UNMEE) within Eritrean airspace or coming to the country, effective
tomorrow, 5 Oct 2005. Following is the full text of the statement:
04/10/2005
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Security
Council
SC/8519
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Department of Public Information •
News and Media Division • New York
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Security
Council
5276th Meeting (Night)
SECURITY
COUNCIL EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN AT DECISION OF ERITREA
TO
RESTRICT FLIGHTS OF UN MISSION HELICOPTERS
Action
Said to Threaten Ability of UNMEE to Carry Out
Mandate;
Presidential Statement Calls for Immediate Reversal
The Security Council
tonight called upon the Government of Eritrea to reverse its decision to
restrict all helicopter flights of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and
Eritrea (UNMEE) within Eritrean airspace or coming to the country, effective
tomorrow, and to provide the Mission with the access, assistance, support and
protection needed to perform its duties.
In a statement read
out by the Council’s President, Mihnea Ioan Motoc (Romania), the Council
emphasized that Eritrea’s decision, which would have serious implications for
UNMEE’s ability to carry out its mandate and for the safety of its staff,
gravely contravenes the Council’s call to that effect in its resolution 1312
(2000), as well as the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities signed by the
Governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2000 in Algiers.
The Council further
underlined the need to implement the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary
Commission without further delay, enabling UNMEE to fulfil its mandate.
Reaffirming that both
parties bear the primary responsibility for implementing the Algiers Agreement
and the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, the Council also
called on both parties to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat
of the use of force against each other.
The meeting began at
6:20 p.m. and adjourned at 6:24 p.m.
Presidential
Statement
The full text of the
presidential statement, to be issued as document S/PRST/2005/42, reads as
follows:
“The Security Council
expresses its grave concern at the decision of the Government of Eritrea to
restrict all types of United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
helicopter flights within Eritrean airspace or coming to Eritrea, effective as
of 5 October 2005, which will have serious implications for UNMEE’s ability to
carry out its mandate and for the safety of its staff.
“Recalling all
previous resolutions and statements of its President regarding the situation
between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Security Council emphasizes that the
aforementioned decision of the Government of Eritrea gravely contravenes the
Council’s call in Resolution 1312 (2000) on the parties to provide UNMEE with
the access, assistance, support, and protection required for the performance of
its duties, as well as the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities signed in
Algiers on 18 June 2000 between the Government of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the State of Eritrea (S/2000/601).
“The Security Council
further underlines the need for implementation of the decision of the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission without further delay, which will enable
UNMEE to fulfil its mandate.
“The Security Council
reaffirms that both parties bear the primary responsibility for the
implementation of the Algiers Agreements and the decision of the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.
“The Security Council
calls upon the Government of Eritrea to immediately reverse its decision and to
provide UNMEE with the access, assistance, support and protection required for
the performance of its duties. It also calls on both parties to cooperate
fully and expeditiously with UNMEE in the implementation of its mandate.
“The Security Council
also calls on both parties to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any
threat of use of force against each other.
“The Security Council
reiterates its call upon both parties to achieve a full normalization of their
relationship including through political dialogue between them for the adoption
of further confidence-building measures and to consolidate progress achieved so
far.”
