The UN, Eritrea and Ethiopia
Eritrea-Ethiopia, Politics, 5/17/2001

The UN Security Council on Tuesday permitted the end of weapons embargo imposed on both Eritrea and Ethiopia this week. This is, however, the first sanctions for the UN that expired based on a preset date instead of being canceled by voting as the US and Britain intended. The embargo ended on Wednesday ( May 16).

News reports quoted a statement released by an official meeting approved by the US representative James Kingham, the chairman of the UN Security Council for this month, as saying that banning weapons purchase on the two sides will expire on May 16. and that the UN Security Council did not extend these imposed measures after this date.

In this statement, the UN Security Council called on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to ensure the freedom of movement for the UN mission of 4200 troopers without restrictions, including the isolation area which separates the armies of the two countries.

The statement also called on the UN Security Council to immediately establish a secure air passage between the capitals of the two countries.

At the meantime, the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea is obliged to convert its track into remote, indirect roads to move by air from one capital to another because the two countries had not agreed an air passage.

The statement said that the free access of the UN mission without restrictions in Ethiopia and Eritrea is a main condition for the success of the peace keeping operation.

The US and Britain wanted the UN Security Council to release a decision to lift the embargo instead of leaving it to its expiration date. However, diplomats said that France which opposes the sanctions imposed on Iraq since ten years opposed that. During the 12 past month, Paris refused permitting voting on any new sanctions for the UN Security Council.

Weapons embargo was imposed on both Ethiopia and Eritrea on May 17 following the eruption of border war between them ended in December 2000 by an agreement. It was decided to end the embargo spontaneously after one year unless the UN Security Council votes to renew it.

Worthy mentioning that Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in a referendum carried out in 1993 following a gang war that lasted for 30 years. No border demarcation was finalized on the 1000, Kms borders shared between the two countries.

Previous Stories:
  On Eritrea and Ethiopia   (5/10/2001)
  On Eritrea and Ethiopia   (4/2/2001)
  The UN, Eritrea and Ethiopia   (3/29/2001)

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