UNMEE
statement incorrect
A statement
issued by the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia (UNMEE) on 22nd
March claimed that three companies of Ethiopian soldiers had moved back into the
Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), which is grossly inaccurate.
UNMEE was
concerned that Ethiopian forces were sighted 6km ‘inside the TSZ’ at Awda
and Mekheta in the Irob district, but these localities were under Ethiopian
administration prior to May 1998. Contrary to the claims of the UNMEE statement,
Ethiopian forces are only to be found in areas that Ethiopia had previously
administered. The UNMEE statement is therefore in contradiction to the Algiers
Agreement that stipulates the redeployment of Ethiopian forces to May 1998
positions.
UNMEE
confirmed on 7th March that Ethiopian forces had returned to the
Ethiopian administered areas of May 1998. Ethiopian forces have not moved
forward or backward from positions that they took up in February 2001 that
correspond to the May 1998 positions.
UNMEE is
fully aware that Eritrea has failed to comply with the agreement it signed to
withdraw its troops to an agreed position by 3rd March, yet at this
sensitive time UNMEE has made an unfounded allegation against Ethiopia, when
Ethiopia in fact withdrew its troops four days before the agreed deadline.
UNMEE representatives and high-ranking officers of the Ethiopian Ministry of Defence have investigated the claims and found them to be baseless.