Peacekeeping mission commander's term "a success" - UN

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) on Friday paid tribute to their force commander, who is leaving after a two-year tour of duty. An UNMEE spokeswoman said Maj-Gen Patrick Cammaert should be judged on his results, and that his stint as military head of the 4,200 peacekeepers had been a success. UNMEE pointed out that since the ceasefire had been signed between Ethiopia and Eritrea no fighting had broken out. "The implementation of the peace process and the mandate have been up to now successful," the spokeswoman said. Speaking in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, at a weekly press briefing, Bindley Taylor Sainte went on to describe UNMEE as "a success". She said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had given his full support to the Dutch-born force commander throughout his two-year tour, which ends on 31 October. The last six months of the major-general’s tour have been dogged by calls for his removal by the Ethiopian government, which had criticised him, claiming he was biased in favour of Eritrea. The two countries fought a bitter two-year border war, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. Tensions between the two are still high despite their signing an Organisation of African Unity-brokered peace deal in December 2000. Sainte rejected claims that the UN had bowed to pressure by the Ethiopians. She added that she hoped the arrival of the new force commander would enhance relations with the Ethiopian government. "We are looking forward to that yes," she said. The new force commander is expected to be British Maj-Gen Robert Gordon CBE, although the appointment has yet to be announced by the UN Secretary-General.