Military coordination meeting held/OAU chief visits Eritrea

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Force Commander on Wednesday reiterated a firm denial of recent statements made by the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments accusing each other of destabilising the peace process. Maj-Gen Patrick Cammaert told the 10th meeting of the Military Coordination Commission (MCC) that, despite the recent allegations, the situation within the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) remains calm. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of mobilising troops within the TSZ, while Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of using threats and blackmail to try to influence the process of defining their common border.

Cammaert appealed to both sides to refrain from words or deeds that might be construed as provocative, warned against the potential volatility of such incidents, and urged both parties to live up to both the letter and the spirit of the agreements they had entered into.

His comments follow recent statements made by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin while addressing the UN General Assembly, during which he accused Eritrea of mobilising its forces within the TSZ. The MCC meeting, held on the Mereb river bridge, which spans the border between the two countries, was attended by representatives of both the Ethiopian and Eritrean military, as well as those from the Organisation of African Unity.

In a related development, the Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) left Ethiopia for neighbouring Eritrea on Thursday where he is expected to meet with Eritrean leaders to discuss deteriorating relations between the two countries.