No reason why demarcation shouldn't start on time, says UN

The UN Force Commander in Eritrea and Ethiopia has said there is no reason why demarcation of the border between the two countries should not begin in July as scheduled.

Major General Robert Gordon told a video-linked news briefing in the two countries that the military situation was calm. Reports of a shooting incident across the Mereb river, allegedly involving the Eritrean armed forces supported by tanks, had been wildly exaggerated, he said.

"This is of course completely nonsense, it is alarmist and it is fantastical," he stated. "No such heavy equipment and no Eritrean armed forces operate within the Temporary Security Zone."

He said there had been reports of exchanges of small arms fire in the area, "probably between militia and local villagers".

Gordon stressed that while demarcation was the domain of the independent Boundary Commission, "as far as the Force is concerned, there are no impediments that I can foresee that should stop that demarcation process starting as per schedule".

He went on to say that the demobilisation process within the Ethiopian army was "on track" and recent meetings with Ethiopian military chiefs had left him "with a degree of confidence that Ethiopia was restructuring its forces in a responsible way".

Border demarcation is due to start in July in the eastern sector, and Eritrea has stressed there can be no dialogue on changes to the Boundary Commission's ruling issued last year.

"The chapter is closed and hermetically sealed," Eritrea's acting Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed told IRIN this week. "The matter is sacrosanct and airtight in its finality".