Agreement to establish security zone

The third meeting of the Military Coordination Commission (MCC) of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) was succesfully held in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday, 6 February. An official statement released by UNMEE said an agreement was reached between the two parties to move forward to establish a Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on 12 February, 2001. The TSZ is a 25-km deep buffer zone separating the two armies on the contested border, and its establishment has been an obstacle to resolving the conflict and deploying UN peacekeepers.

At the military meeting, both Ethiopia and Eritrea "expressed their general acceptance of the United Nations proposal for the Southern Boundary of the TSZ." The statement said the proposal was based on redeployment plans submitted earlier by Ethiopia in accordance with the Agreement of the Cessation of Hostilities signed 18 June, and consultations with both governments and peace process partners. However, UNMEE said it had been noted for the record that Eritrea had "reservation that the Southern Boundary does not relect the 6 May 1998 line of administration." It also noted the Ethiopian reservation "concerning the possible needs, in the implementation stage, for adjustments or corrections to the Northern and Southern Boundaries for both sides." Despite these issues, both parties agreed to move ahead with the redeployment of Ethiopian forces, the rearragement of Eritrean Forces, and the establishment of the TSZ, said UNMEE.