afrol News, 21 February - Eritrean authorities have brushed aside allegations that they are obstructing and impeding the transfer of the UN peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea [UNMEE] to Ethiopia.

“The press offices of the United Nations and other private media have been levelling unfounded accusations against Eritrea about UNMEE's situation in the country," the Eritrean mission to the UN claimed.

“Eritrea has maintained all along that the issue of fuel is technical, which could have been resolved quietly without politicizing it."

Eritrea and UNMEE had been at loggerhead since December last year. The squabbles were heightened by accusations that Eritrea had denied the UN mission fuel and food thereby restricting its monitoring of the disputed security zone bordering Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Asmara officials were annoyed with the UN's failure to force Ethiopia to succumb to a ruling on the border crisis.

But UN said Asmara's uncooperative attitude had made the temporary transfer of its mission to Ethiopia.

“Asmara continues to forbid staff and trucks to cross the border with Ethiopia,” the UN said, adding that decision has been made to remove the 460 peacekeepers from the zone. Asmara's fuel blockade has forced the world body to move to Ethiopia.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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