From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Wed Oct 22 2008 - 17:53:57 EDT
UN Security Council Urges Eritrea, Djibouti to Resolve Dispute
By Margaret Besheer
New York
23 October 2008
The U.N. Security Council has urged Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve
their border dispute peacefully and warned Eritrea that it must comply
with the council's demand that it withdraw its troops to pre-fighting
positions. From United Nations headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret
Besheer has more.
After months of tension, serious clashes erupted in June between Eritrea
and Djibouti along the disputed border between the two Horn of Africa
countries, in an area known as Doumeira.
Although the fighting was brief, Djibouti reported that more than 35 of
its troops were killed and that many were wounded.
The U.N Security Council directed both countries to pull back their
troops, but according to a U.N. fact-finding mission that visited the
region in July, only Djibouti has complied.
Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh told the Security Council his
government has repeatedly tried to engage Eritrea in dialogue and
negotiations to resolve the matter, but has gotten nowhere. He said the
council must call upon both countries to commit themselves to resolving
this crisis within the next few weeks.
"Any failure to apply this decision should give rise to sanctions on the
part of the council. This aggression against my country must not be
ignored, remain unpunished or, even worse, be taken lightly by this
council," said Guelleh.
President Guelleh said Djibouti would protect its territory and
sovereignty, but that the last thing the region needs is another war.
Eritrea's U.N. Ambassador, Araya Desta, did not address his government's
refusal to pull back its troops, nor did he say why Asmara refused to
grant visas for the four-person U.N. fact-finding mission that was sent
to investigate the situation. But he repeated his government's position
that Djibouti was the aggressor in June, and said Eritrea has not seized
any land that belongs to Djibouti and that it does not have any
territorial ambitions.
"Eritrea will not allow itself to be dragged into and invited to engage
in a diversionary and fabricated conflict, or obliged to exchange on a
situation designed to foment conflict on the ground," said Desta.
The U.N. fact-finding mission reported that "the situation remains
fragile, volatile and urgent." It warned that Djibouti is being drawn
into a "crippling and expensive" military mobilization and that if the
situation is not addressed quickly, it could have a major negative
effect on the entire region and the wider international community.
Security Council members urged Eritrea and Djibouti to find a peaceful
solution to the crisis, and called for Eritrea to comply with its call
last June to commit to a cease-fire, engage in diplomatic negotiations
and withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions. The council said
arbitration is also open to the parties as a means to resolving the
conflict. But the council clearly put the burden on Eritrea to
cooperate, end its silence and move to the negotiating table.
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