Ethiopia begins redeployment

Ethiopia began to redeploy its forces on 12 February in the first step towards establishing a secure zone on the disputed Ethiopian-Eritrean border. Ethiopia will complete its redeployment to the Southern Boundary of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) by 26 February, and Eritrea will complete the rearrangement of its forces to the Northern Boundary by 3 March, a statement by the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) said on Monday. UNMEE peacekeepers will "monitor and verify the establishment of the TSZ" to make sure both parties comply with the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed on 18 June in Algiers, the statement said. UNMEE confirmed that Eritrea would "start the restoration of civil administration, including police and local militia in the zone" once the verification process had been completed. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, said in a press conference in Addis Ababa on 9 February that the TSZ 25-km corridor would be "very important not only for UNMEE but also for the two parties." He said UN peacekeepers could then move into the secure zone "to make sure people can return to their villages in safety - safe from mines and safe from retribution by one side or the other." Legwaila confirmed that armed Eritrean militia would be allowed to return to the zone, as it did not contradict the peace agreement signed by the two parties. He said UNMEE was still negotiating a high altitude flight path between the two countries.