afrol News, 10 May - After the Eritrean government last week made fresh allegations against UN peacekeeping mission, the UN is now threatening to withdraw its border patrolling troops. The UN Security Council is concerned over the lack of cooperation by the governments of both Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) today reacted with shock to new and old accusations of infractions levelled by the Eritrean government. Eritrea claims UNMEE peacekeepers are into serious crimes, including paedophilia. These crimes were so grave that claims the UN is now destabilising the region, the Eritreans claim.

UNMEE today in a statement expressed grave concern that these Eritrean accusations could turn the Eritrean public against the three-year-old peacekeeping mission. The statement left it clear that UNMEE could not remain stationed in the Eritrean-Ethiopian border area if the host countries did not welcome it.

The latest press release issued by the Eritrean Commission for Coordination with the Peacekeeping Mission contains the new allegation that, on 1 May, an UNMEE helicopter transported a "fugitive wanted for security reasons" from Senafe, Eritrea, in the UN-monitored Temporary Security Zone, to Adigrat in Ethiopia, the UN mission said.

An UNMEE board of inquiry was urgently investigating the allegation and the results would be shared with the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia, the statement further said. UNMEE added some of the allegations repeated by Eritrean Brig. Gen. Abrahaley Kifle last month already had been dealt with.

The mission further said it was shocked by an allegation that because it has taken no action to "clean up its activities" it had become a "grave danger" to the "peace and stability of the people and government of Eritrea, as well as the security and stability of our region."

- Since its inception, the mission has worked hard to contribute to a lasting solution to the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and we are shocked to learn that we are now part of the problem, the UNMEE statement said. "We of course acknowledge that we are guests in Eritrea. When a guest is no longer welcome in a house, it is the prerogative of the host to decide what to do next."

The Eritrean government on Thursday alleged that UNMEE peacekeepers were involved in a string of illegal paedophilia, making pornography, using the national currency as toilet paper and the use of prostitutes.

The UN peacekeeping mission was established after the 1998-2000 Ethiopian-Eritrean border war, which is believed to have killed up to 100,000 persons. The UN, US and EU helped negotiate a peace, but its implementation has been met with resistance, especially since a court ruling on the final border last year proved favourable for Eritrea.

Ethiopia still refuses to acknowledge the border settlement and the countries were close to renewed fighting last year. UNMEE, which is to patrol the border and secure its demarcation, has not been left to its work.

The UN Security Council only last week called on Eritrea and Ethiopia to cooperate with UN emissaries and with one another in demarcating a boundary between the two countries, criticising the two foes for the lack of progress towards peace. The Council nevertheless extended the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the frontier area until 15 September.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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