UN mission's mandate extended

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on 14 September to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) for a further six months until 15 March 2002. The Council called on both parties to cooperate fully with UNMEE in the implementation of its mandate, and to abide by the spirit of the agreements signed between them. The Council called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to urgently resolve outstanding issues and fulfil their obligation to provide freedom of movement for UNMEE personnel. The Council called on Eritrea to allow UNMEE to monitor the 15-km strip north of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), while urging Ethiopia to allow UNMEE freedom of movement in the 15-km strip south of the TSZ. The Security Council also insisted that both parties provide accurate information on minefields. In particular, the Council urged both Ethiopia and Eritrea to pursue confidence-building measures and to redirect their efforts away from weapons procurement towards the reconstruction and development of their economies. The current number of UNMEE personnel (4,000 peacekeepers and 250 military observers) will remain the same.