Eritrea defends presence of troops in disputed area

Story by REUTERS Publication Date: 2007/05/10

ASMARA, Wednesday Eritrea defended Wednesday its right to send troops into the disputed border region with Horn of Africa arch-foe Ethiopia. The United Nations called on both countries on Tuesday to withdraw their troops from the border where it said Addis Ababa and Asmara had moved more than 5,000 soldiers in recent months. “It’s not a violation, because at the end of the day, we have freedom of movement in our territory,” presidential adviser Yemane Ghebremeskel told Reuters. “What the Security Council is saying now has nothing to do with the agreement. Why are we being asked about a few clauses in the agreement when the main clause has been violated?” A peace deal ended the 1998-2000 border war that killed some 70,000 people, but the process soon ground to a halt when Ethiopia rejected a 2002 decision by an independent boundary commission awarding a flashpoint town to Eritrea. Ethiopian police said on Wednesday that about 4,000 Eritreans – including soldiers, policemen, government workers, students and a journalist – had entered the country over the last eight months, fleeing repression at home. Analysts say relations between the neighbours have deteriorated over Somalia where Ethiopian-backed Somali government troops ousted Islamists, seen to be supported by Eritrea, in a war. Last month, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the border impasse was a “serious” source of instability. But Eritrea blamed the Security Council for the region’s instability. “It should definitely be held accountable for the dangerous situation prevailing in the Horn of Africa,” said a statement in the government-owned English newspaper. Despite analysts’ fears of renewed conflict, the United Nations has gradually scaled down a peacekeeping mission monitoring Eritrea’s 1,000 km border with Ethiopia. Mr Yemane accused the United Nations of being disingenuous with its claim of being “deeply concerned” with the peace process. “That’s just shedding crocodile tears, they have the power to enforce the border ruling,” he said.