USUN PRESS RELEASE # 246 (05)  
December 14, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

Remarks by Ambassador John R. Bolton, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on Ethiopia/Eritrea, at the Security Council Stakeout, December 14, 2005

 

Ambassador Bolton:  Let me start with Ethiopia/Eritrea.  Obviously we’re faced with a demand by the government of Eritrea that certain designated military observers be withdrawn.  I am going to meet with the Secretary-General this morning and we’re going to decide what to do.  Obviously the government of Eritrea is acting unacceptably in making the peacekeeping force UNMEE part of the problem.  But, of course, one reason we’re in this dilemma is that the government of Ethiopia has never complied with its obligations under the 2000 agreement and the 2002 border demarcation. 


Ambassador Bolton:  Well in a sense Ethiopia is dictating to the Council, as they won’t adhere to the Arbitral Boundary Commission. And that’s why as I say, while we need to deal with the Eritrean efforts to restrict the peacekeeping force, I think we need to focus on the larger issue, and if we don’t do that we’re going to miss an opportunity.  more...
  • Peacekeepers begin Eritrea pullout
    CNN.com Thu, 15 Dec 2005 4:52 AM PST
    ASMARA, Eritrea (Reuters) -- Western peacekeepers began leaving Eritrea on Thursday after the United Nations agreed to pull out Americans, Canadians and Europeans from its mission set up to prevent war with Ethiopia.
  •  

UN to pull Western peacekeepers from Eritrea
CNN International - USA, Wednesday, December 14, 2005 Posted: 1909 GMT (0309 HKT
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- The United Nations is getting ready to pull North American and European peacekeepers out of Eritrea and move them to Ethiopia as ...

The U.N. Security Council, in an informal session, decided to redeploy about 180 military observers and civilians from the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Russia from the northeast African country. The 15-nation body will issue a formal statement on its decision later in the day after consultation with member governments.
See all stories on this topic

Peacekeeping Chief Extends Eritrea Stay (AP)

 - Wed Dec 14, 7:54 AM ET

AP - The U.N. peacekeeping chief extended his stay in Eritrea on Wednesday, hoping to meet officials who refused to talk to him a day earlier as he struggled to defuse tensions along the border with Ethiopia.

                  Meles Threatens!
Ethiopia’s PM says Eritrea girding for new war,
(AFP/ST), Wednesday 14 December 2005 01:43 ..

."In a speech to parliament, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Eritrea was attempting to provoke a new conflict but stressed Addis Ababa would take deterrent measures to dissuade Asmara from resorting to a new war." .

                                         LONDON DEMONSTRATION
 

Eritreans take to the street to denounce UN Resolution

Meadna News Monday, 12 December 2005, 21:48 GMT
"The demonstrators expressed their frustration at the UN’s resolution failure to address the underlining cause of the present crises, which is Ethiopia’s refusal to accept a legally-binding border demarcation. Representatives of the demonstrators delivered petition singed by thousands of people and held discussion regarding the resolution and Ethiopia’s refusal to accept the international ruling with an Official from the UK Foreign Office"

Speaking to thousands of Eritreans gathered in front of the European Parliament to protest Ethiopia’s refusal to accept an international ruling on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, the European Union Vice President of the Committee on Human Right, Mr John Van Heck said; “Ethiopia should implement now the final and binding decision, if not we need sanction against Ethiopia.”.
UN peacekeeper kept waiting for Eritrea talks
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
... Jean-Marie Guehenno, head of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), arrived in Eritrea late on Monday for talks after the Red Sea state last week ...
See all stories on this topic
Press Release
By Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dec 12, 2005, 19:47
The Secretary General of the United Nations has been conducting several telephone conversations with the Ethiopian Prime Minister in the past days. This unwarranted political meddling is principally aimed at letting the Ethiopian regime off the hook by raising issues that have no legal relevance so as to undermine the rule of law and to obstruct its implementation, and, to indict Eritrea unjustly.

EU sends urgent peace mission to Africa
World Peace Herald, DC By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Published December 12, 2005
BRUSSELS -- European Union foreign ministers Monday agreed to send a high-level mission to
 Ethiopia and Eritrea to avert a bloody conflict between the countries ...

   Brussels Demonstration! photos
"Political imprisonments, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, suspected extra judicial detentions and executions, torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners, group executions, ever widening religious persecutions, forced conscription's, sexual violations of women conscripts are becoming common practices."

"In line with the EU, the NECS strongly believes that there should be no precondition attached to the implementation of the said decision. It espouses, furthermore, the firm opinion that the final solution should strictly follow the peaceful path and should avoid any recourse to armed conflict. In relation to this, the NECS confidently affirms that the Eritrean people do not want to go to war anymore."
 
NC Party Plans to Visit Eritrea ,Saturday 10 December 2005
Arrangements are under way at National Congress ruling party to study the
 out come of the visit conducted recently by government delegation headed
 by minister of foreign affairs Dr. Lam Akol to Eritrea.
 

TOP UN OFFICIALS SENT TO ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA AFTER LATTER'S REQUEST TO OUST UN STAFF
New York, Dec  8 2005  6:00PM
Following the UN's rejection yesterday of Eritrea's request for the pullout of personnel of specified nationalities, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to send two top United Nations officials to the Horn of Africa to assess the situation on the ground and suggest next steps to improve it, a spokesman for the world body said today.

The UN and the West each bear their share of responsibility this time around
After 70,000 deaths, Eritrea and Ethiopia prepare for war again
By Xan Rice, The Times,  December 08, 2005
The Associated PressU.N. Rejects Eritrea's Expulsion Order, UNITED NATIONS Dec 7, 2005
United Nations Rejects Eritrea's Order to Expel Western Members of Peacekeeping Mission
 By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press Writer
"..."This is for us a totally unacceptable position," said Jean-Marie Guehenno, the U.N. undersecretary-general
 for peacekeeping. "Certainly we are not planning to pull out any of the people who have been mentioned."...
The UN and the West each bear their share of responsibility this time around
 After 70,000 deaths, Eritrea and Ethiopia prepare for war again
By Xan Rice, The Times,  December 08, 2005
 
ANNAN, SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMN ERITREA'S PLANNED EVICTION OF PEACEKEEPERS
New York, Dec  7 2005  5:00PM
Eritrea today requested that members of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) who are nationals of key States leave that operation, drawing immediate condemnation from the Security Council and Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as a world body's senior peacekeeping official, who said there will be no pullout of personnel.

After 70,000 deaths, Eritrea and Ethiopia prepare for war again

thetimes 1:30:00 AM CET

A CONFLICT once described as so pointless that it was like two bald men fighting over a comb looks increasingly likely to restart after Eritrea expelled international peacekeepers from the border it shares with Ethiopia. Troops from the US, Europe, and Canada have been ordered to leave the area, in...
UN demands halt to Eritrea order BBC News
The UN tells Eritrea not to expel European and North American peacekeepers
from the border with Ethiopia.
Eritrea expels UN observers along border with Ethiopia
Guardian Unlimited, UK - 1 hour ago
Fears of a renewed war in the Horn of Africa mounted yesterday after
Eritrea expelled UN observers policing its border with Ethiopia. ...
MSNBC NewsEritrea orders U.N., Westerners out of country
Tensions on border with Ethiopia have grown, along with troop movements,
Updated: 7:58 a.m. ET Dec. 7, 2005
ASMARA, Eritrea - Eritrea has ordered U.N. troops and civilians from Western countries to leave within 10 days, a move that will make the U.N.'s observation of the tense border with Ethiopia impossible, diplomats said Wednesday