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The first deployment of 46 UN military observers in Ethiopia and Eritrea has begun as part of the effort to end the war between the two nations which broke out in 1998.
“We just spoke with the mission, which confirmed the arrivals of seven military observers - four in Asmara, Eritrea, and three others in Addis Ababa,” a UN spokesman told the press at UN headquarters in New York. According to the UN, once deployed in the two capitals, the observers would undergo a four-day training programme before being posted to operational positions in the demilitarized zones with effect from 22 September.
The UN announcement follows the establishment of military liaison offices at the outset of the mission in both Addis Ababa and Asmara, in accordance with the 31 July Security Council resolution to set up the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea with up to 100 military observers. The Security Council was expected to adopt a resolution next week authorising the establishment of a peacekeeping mission to the region, as recommended by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his most recent report on the situation in the two countries.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions