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When we last reported the status of the United Nations Mission to Ethiopia-Eritrea (UNMEE), we cited intelligence that the mission, facing the expiration of its mandate on July 31, could be transformed into a smaller observer contingent. Now it appears that even that option is off the table, and that the mission will be closed down entirely.
The U.N. Security Council voted on Wednesday to disband its peacekeeping mission to the volatile border between Eritrea and Ethiopia after Eritrea forced out most of the U.N. troops. The mandate for the 1,700-strong force expires on Thursday. The council unanimously approved a resolution drafted by Belgium that calls for the mission to be terminated and all peacekeeping personnel to be withdrawn.
On one hand, the disbanding of UNMEE--without even a compromise force to replace it--is unfortunate, as it leaves an already tense border region with no objective peacekeeping presence whatsoever. While Ethiopia and Eritrea are not technically at war, their armies, according to the International Crisis Group, are "less than a football pitch" apart in certain areas.
More realistically, though, sending peacekeepers home from Ethiopia-Eritrea simply makes official what had been a de facto termination of the mission since Eritrea decided to deprive it of necessary fuel supplies. The all-important "peace to keep" for UNMEE was little more than ostensible, as both sides -- Eritrea through this denial of fuel, Ethiopia by continuing to place troops in an area that an international border commission awarded to Eritrea -- have recklessly flouted UN authority and hampered the mission's effectiveness.
UN peacekeepers cannot be expected to stand between two armies and prevent the return of full-scale war. If Ethiopia and Eritrea are serious about resolving their dispute, they will have to work out -- and abide by -- their own peace agreements. Leaving UNMEE there without a corresponding level of commitment from both sides only encourages the unreasonable expectation that peacekeepers alone will be able to defuse this crisis.
Comments
The United Nations has once again left Eritrea high and dry, although I can concede that Eritrea has been acting up lately. But what is a country to do when it has had its back pushed against the wall for more than 30 years? The U.N. started all of this when it ignored Eritreans' wishes more than 30 years ago to be free and independent. Why it awarded to Ethiopia and Haile Selassie is beyond anyone's comprehension, but Eritrea is still fighting for her independence...
Posted by: Eritrean#1 at July 30, 2008 9:34 PM
The concept of liquidating UNMEE from Eritrea is a matter of two men?s concern at this time the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia are making the nations and the people to enmity. As Eritrean people we never wanted war and now where are we ?No peace No war? conditions. Let not deceive ourselves. The government of Eritrea is fooling his authority and the public; it is the government who to particular dictatorial Issaias Idea which makes Eritrea one Men County all the other are puppets. So UNMEE left what do we do now if we get good rainfall, when we become self-reliant (which will never be true in a century) then we will wage a war to return the pieces of land. O! Eritrean, Cry for yourselves and for you children. Please if you are reading this do something; rainfall is law while 80% of the population depend on agriculture, malnutrition getting too high, availability of clean water is too low, employee exploitation is too extreme (bachelor degree holder getting paid 15$ a month, Life is too cheap specially in military people disappear continuously, youths are migrating like a river. So are we marching to ward self- reliance if you say yes the full yourselves. O! Eritrean Cry for yourselves. UN forget government look at innocent people be a way of find a way.
Posted by: Fthi Menesei at August 14, 2008 10:18 AM
