Eritrea expels U.S., European, Canadian staff of the UN peacekeeping force

[Chimo]

Eritrea expels U.S., European, Canadian staff of the UN peacekeeping force
05:01:47 EST Dec 7, 2005
ANTHONY MITCHELL



ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Eritrea has ordered the expulsion of U.S., Canadian and European staff of the U.N. peacekeeping mission that monitors the tense border with neighboring Ethiopia, United Nations officials said Wednesday.

Concern has been growing that war could again erupt between the two countries. Both have been increasing troops along the border and two weeks ago the United Nations threatened to impose sanctions if Eritrea fails to ease restrictions imposed on peacekeepers.

In a letter sent to the U.N. Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Eritrea said the Americans, Canadians and Europeans have 10 days to leave the Horn of Africa nation, said a Western diplomat who saw a copy of the letter. No reason was given.

The rest of the story is located at: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/051207/w120712.html

 

[Pikache]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4505994.stm
Eritrea to expel UN peacekeepers

Both sides have reinforced their border military positions recently
Eritrea has expelled Canadian, Russian, European and United States peacekeepers from the United Nations mission monitoring the border with Ethiopia.

The decision makes UN observation of the tense border almost impossible, says the BBC's Ed Harris in Asmara.

In a letter to the UN mission, the Eritrean government gave staff of those nationalities 10 days to leave.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea are poor and there are fears of a new war over their disputed border.

The Ethiopian government criticised the move as unhelpful.

"Eritrea's action is not appropriate, it won't help anyone," Information Minister Berhane Hailu told AFP news agency.

The two states went to war in 1998. A peace deal in 2000 led to a border ruling by an independent commission.

There are some 3,300 peacekeepers and military observers from some 40 countries, 191 civilians and 74 UN volunteers working at the mission.

UN troops, including some 1,500 from India, patrol a 900km long buffer zone which is just 25km wide and falls on the Eritrean side of the old border.

There has been no explanation for Eritrea's decision to expel the peacekeepers or why the personnel from specific countries have been singled out.

Reports suggest at least 150 staff may be affected - mainly observers and civilian staff.

Restrictions

Ethiopia has not yet withdrawn its forces from the town of Badme, which was awarded to Eritrea.


TENSE BORDER
June 2000: Peace agreement
Apr 2002: Border ruling
Mar 2003: Ethiopian complaint over Badme rejected
Sep 2003: Ethiopia asks for new ruling
Feb 2005: UN concern at military build-up
Oct 2005: Eritrea restricts peacekeepers' activities
Nov 2005: UN sanctions threat if no compliance with 2000 deal

Q&A: Horn's bitter war

Frustrated with the stalemate, Eritrea has imposed restrictions on the activities of the UN peacekeeping force patrolling the border buffer zone in the past few months.

Both sides have reinforced their military positions.

"Members of Unmee with nationalities from USA, Canada and Europe, including the Russian Federation are requested to the leave the country within 10 days of this notice," said the letter sent to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee), according to the AFP news agency.

"This notice comprises all those with the above nationalities irrespective of (the) sector they are working in," said the letter, which was signed by Colonel Zecarias Ogbagaber, Eritrea's liaison officer with the UN mission.
***
Sounds like someone's gearing up for war.

 

[JasonH]

It's sad we hafto babysit these countries.

 

[Jarnhamar]

What the hell can they be fighting over?
900Kms of desert?

The only thing I can think of that makes ANY sense would be some type of food source or natural resource?

 

[George Wallace]

In October, the Eritrean government banned helicopter flights by U.N. peacekeepers in its airspace over the buffer zone that separates thousands of its troops from those from Ethiopia. It then banned U.N. vehicles from patrolling at night on its side of the zone, prompting U.N. troops to vacate 18 of its 40 posts.

Maybe it is time we started to send both Governments daily Satellite Imagery of their Troop Movements and Positions.

 

[Chimo]

Here is an article from the CIA World Fact Book listing some of the disputes:

Disputes - international: 
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations and armed posturing prevail, preventing demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; since 2000, the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitors the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999 

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/er.html#Issues 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Sadly, this was once one of the longest-running wars in Africa (quite the feat, given the continent's history). 

"The Italians remained the colonial power in Eritrea until they were defeated by Allied forces in World War II (1941), and Eritrea became a British protectorate. After the war, the United Nations, after a lengthy inquiry in which those who wanted union with Ethiopia and those who wanted independence lobbied the great powers and the U.N. extensively, eventually reached a compromise that the former Italian colony was to join Ethiopia as part of a federation. Eritrea would have its own parliament and administration, and would be represented in the Ethiopian parliament which would function as the Federal Parliament.  Both unionists and pro-independence people found the federation to be undesirable. By a show of military force in the Eritrean Parliament the federation was dissolved by Ethiopia. The Emperor agreed readily and annexed Eritrea in 1960. Promptly, pro-independence Eritreans went into rebellion and launched a long war of independence. They were joined by disaffected federationists who now were convinced Eritrea would be better off as an independent state. The war would last 30 years.

"The war of Eritrean Independence would escalate considerably after the overthrow of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, when a hardline Marxist military junta known as the Derg seized power, and launched a major offensive in Eritrea. The brutality of the government of dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam did much to increase the numbers of the independence movements supporters to the point that Eritreans became almost exclusively pro-independence by the mid 1980's.

"The long war ended in 1991, when joint Eritrean and rebellious Ethiopian forces defeated the Ethiopian army, and the Derg regime fell. Two years later, after a referendum, Eritrean independence was declared."

Ain't the colonial legacy great?

I know RCR had some troops there in 2001, but the CF page doesn't list any now - any ideas how many CF folks we're talking about? A few LO's?

 

[3rd Herd]

We currently have no one there in Eritrea. Maybe one LO in Ethiopia. Media got it wrong ( source DND media liaison)

 

[m410]

Eritrea has expelled Canadian, Russian, European and United States peacekeepers from the United Nations mission monitoring the border with Ethiopia.

...

There are some 3,300 peacekeepers and military observers from some 40 countries, 191 civilians and 74 UN volunteers working at the mission.

UN troops, including some 1,500 from India, patrol a 900km long buffer zone which is just 25km wide and falls on the Eritrean side of the old border.

There has been no explanation for Eritrea's decision to expel the peacekeepers or why the personnel from specific countries have been singled out.

Reports suggest at least 150 staff may be affected - mainly observers and civilian staff.

"There has been no explanation for Eritrea's decision to expel the peacekeepers or why the personnel from specific countries have been singled out."

Here's an explanation: racism.  All the white peacekeepers are being kicked out.  Of course our own Romeo Dallaire claimed that white peacekeepers have no business in Africa.

 

[m410]

Ain't the colonial legacy great?

There has to be a statute of limitations on how long people can keep blaming colonialism for their woes.  The Italians have been gone for what, 60 years?  At some point you need to take ownership of your own problems.  Besides, what about the Marxist legacy?

 

[Dog]

m410, you can tell that to the native leaders, here in Canada. But, yeah... I agree.

I'm interested to see if the world is going to step in and seperate the two countries, and if so, are we going to go?

Romeo Dallaire can go back to swimming around the Rideau Canal in a drunken stupor.... he should shut up and get back down to working on the liberal party's genitals.


**Edited to correct m410's name

 

[TCBF]

"Romeo Dallaire can go back to swimming around the Rideau Canal in a drunken stupor.... he should shut up and get back down to working on the liberal party's........"

- That's rather a savage way of putting it, what?

Tom

 

[m410]

"Romeo Dallaire can go back to swimming around the Rideau Canal in a drunken stupor.... he should shut up and get back down to working on the liberal party's........"

- That's rather a savage way of putting it, what?

Tom

I would have nothing against him if he faded into obscurity.  History is full of weak people, including weak leaders.  But he didn't fade out.  Somehow his moral weakness has been turned into a perceived strength.  The man is a moral authority on nothing.  Why do we celebrate this loser?  Marginalizing Lewis Mackenzie in favour of Romeo Dallaire says a lot about Canadians.  Being a weak victim is nothing to be proud of.