Border closed to UN peacekeepers

Ethiopia on Monday accused the UN peacekeeping mission of “grossly violating” its mandate within the country and banned it from crossing the border with Eritrea. The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has been told that all movements across the border are now forbidden. The border was closed on Saturday morning, and according to Ethiopia's state minister for information the ban is "indefinite". The restriction comes just two weeks after a crucial ruling on the border between the two countries, announced on 13 April by an independent Boundary Commission. Both sides have claimed victory over the ruling, and political tension has increased over the location of the contested and symbolic village of Badme, where their border war began in 1998. The minister, Netsannet Asfaw, told IRIN that UNMEE had violated a Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) it signed with Ethiopia. "They also grossly violated Ethiopia’s rights by bringing journalists, not through Ethiopia, but through Eritrea into Badme," she said. "This they shouldn’t do. Therefore until these things are sorted out they cannot move in air, cars, or by foot into Eritrea or from Eritrea into Ethiopia." “What are they trying to imply by bringing journalists into Badme from Eritrea?", she asked. She was referring to the arrival in Badme via Eritrea recently of a number of journalists from Kenya. Ethiopia was furious over the move, and itself arranged for other journalists to visit Badme. UNMEE has a 4,200-strong peacekeeping force which patrols a 25-km buffer area, known as the Temporary Security Zone. The peacekeepers were told that as from 08.00 hours on Saturday morning Ethiopia had closed its borders to all UNMEE aircraft, vehicles and personnel. UNMEE has confirmed the ban. “The border has been closed to UNMEE,” said deputy spokeswoman Gail Bindley-Taylor Sainte. She said the situation was calm, but peacekeeping work was affected. “The [UNMEE] people on the border would be those most affected,” she said. “The ban on flights between here [Addis] and there [Asmara] must affect their work – it has to.”