UNMEE
VERIFIES ETHIOPIAN REDEPLOYMENT, ERITREA HALTS THEIRS
The
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) yesterday said it has now
verified that the Ethiopian Government has completed the redeployment of its
armed forces to the southern boundary of the future Temporary Security Zone (TSZ).
The redeployment was completed four days before the deadline.
UNMEE
Force Commander Major-General Partick Cammaert said: "I am satisfied with
the verification of the southern boundary and can now confirm that the Ethiopian
forces are outside the prospective TSZ."
The
Eritrean Government, however, had agreed to complete its troop redeployment on
March 3rd, and whilst they have redeployed some of their forces to the northern
boundary, UNMEE has found that significant concentrations of Eritrean troops
remain in all three TSZ sectors.
As a result, UNMEE is not yet able to declare that the TSZ, a vital provision of the peace accord, has been formally established. These delaying tactics by the Eritrean regime not only undermine the success of the UNMEE mission, they are also further proof that Eritrea is once again trying to renege on its commitment to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the Algiers Peace Accord.