Eritrean troops remain in security zone

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) said in a press release on Wednesday that it had verified Ethiopian redeployment of its forces to the southern boundary of the proposed Temporary Security Zone (TSZ). But the release noted that although substantial numbers of Eritrean troops had pulled back to the northern limit of the future TSZ, significant numbers remained in the zone.

Eritrean authorities told UNMEE that their decision to halt the pullback was based on strong objections to adjustments made to the original map of the future TSZ agreed at the third meeting of the Military Coordination Commission (MCC). As a result, UNMEE said in the press release that it could not declare that the TSZ had been established. Verification is an essential step in establishing the 25 km wide TSZ, agreed upon when the two sides signed a ceasefire in Algiers last June.

Lt Com Albert Wong of UNMEE's public information section in Addis Ababa told IRIN that UNMEE was confident that the TSZ process would be back on track soon. "UNMEE Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila will leave for New York on Friday, where he will be holding talks with all involved" Wong said. He said he hoped all current disagreements would be solved.