UN’s Annan concerned over Ethiopia border troop build-up

UNITED NATIONS, March 10 (AFP) — UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday said he was concerned about the continuing build-up of Ethiopian troops near the border with Eritrea.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The neighbours signed a peace accord to end their 1998-2000 war over the border that promised to respect the demarcation of the border by an independent commission.

But Ethiopia rejected the decision until November, when it said it accepted the commission’s ruling in principle but wanted “adjustments.” Eritrea says the Ethiopian position has not changed.

In his latest report to the UN Security Council on the matter, Annan said there had been a “steady increase” of Ethiopian forces near the border area since December and that the deployment appeared to be continuing.

“I am concerned about a possible rise in tensions along the border in view of the build-up,” Annan said.

The UN chief also expressed concern about new construction in areas that were awarded to Eritrea by the boundary commission, which he warned “could be interpreted as an effort to create facts on the ground.”

He asked the council to approve another six-month extension of peacekeepers in the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea until September 15, and urged an end to the impasse over the border disupte.

“A stalemate in the peace process is a source of instability. This is exacerbated when troops are amassed in the border region,” Annan said, urging both sides to “refrain from any action that could destabilise the situation.”

He also recommended another Security Council working trip to both countries as a sign of international support for the peace process.