Coordination commission says UNMEE “provoked” shooting

The Eritrean Commission for Coordination with UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) said it had concluded its inquiry into complaints that Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) were restricting the movement of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), the Eritrean Visafric news agency reported on Monday. It acknowledged there had been an incident where the EDF had fired “a single warning shot into the air,” but said the UNMEE convoy had made a “forced attempt” to circumvent a checkpoint. The Commission said the incident happened at an EDF checkpoint in the Tekelebi area, used to guard a restricted military zone located at the intersection of the roads from Maireba (15.02N 39.09E) and Koatit (14.47N 39.16E) towards Mai Aini (14.47N 39.06E). It was “well outside” the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), the Commission said. According to the Commission, on 3 May at 1000 local time, an UMMEE convoy of three vehicles sped past the EDF checkpoint, ignoring instructions to slow down and stop. At 1400, as the vehicles were returning, EDF soldiers stopped them and informed them that they were entering restricted area and should go back to Mai Aini. The UNMEE convoy was instructed to then travel directly to Dek’emhare (15.04N 39.03E). The Commission said the UNMEE convoy instead tried to by-pass the checkpoint, prompting one EDF soldier to fire “a single warning shot” into the air. An UNMEE press statement issued on 10 May said Eritrean troops had stopped a logistics convoy and fired shots into the air on the main access route located south of Dek’emhare, just north of the boundary of the TSZ. The Commission said it regretted the shot being fired and stated that it had called for disciplinary action to be taken against the soldier; but the Commission said that the incident had been triggered by a breach of UNMEE’s pledge to respect Eritrean checkpoints outside the TSZ, said Visafric. The Commission reiterated Eritrea’s commitment to guarantee and facilitate “complete freedom of movement” for UNMEE “within the TSZ” and through the main supply and access routes to the TSZ. UNMEE has not yet responded.