Ethiopia’s army to be redeployed according to UN resolution – FM

Dec 9, 205 (ADDIS ABABA) — Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin says Ethiopia is prepared to redeploy its forces consistent with the instruction of the Security Council in the interest of peace and with a view to affording better opportunity for the implementation of Resolution 1640.

Though we have seen no encouraging signs from Eritrea even after Resolution 1640 has been adopted, Ethiopia is convinced that its compliance with the Councils instruction is necessary even if doing so might have some risk for Ethiopia’s security, Seyoum said.

Seyoum made the remark in an open letter he writes to Sir Emyr Jones Parry, Permanent Representative of the UK and current President of the UN Security Council as well as to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

It is Ethiopia’s firm conviction that should there be any attempt by Eritrea, to take advantage of this Ethiopian unilateral compliance to cause harm for our country’s security, the Security Council will shoulder its responsibility by taking the necessary measures, Seyoum stressed.

Foreign Minister Seyoum said it is Eritrea that created the on-going crisis with respect to the current tension.

Eritrea should not be rewarded for escalating tension along the border, a tactic that Eritrea appears to have adopted as a means of putting pressure on the Security Council, Seyoum said.

Unlike Eritrea, Ethiopia does not have any troops in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) and that the current deployment of troops is fully consistent with Ethiopia’s obligations under the Algiers agreement, he noted.

We have no doubt that the Security Council is fully aware that Eritrea has violated the integrity of the TSZ and how this Eritrean move is indeed dangerous, Seyoum said.

However, in the interest of peace, and with the view to affording better opportunity, for the implementation of Resolution 1640, Ethiopia is prepared to redeploy its forces consistent with the instruction of paragraph 2 of resolution 1640.

Ethiopia is firmly convinced that the carrying out of the demarcation of the boundary on the basis of the decision of the Boundary Commission is a matter which should cause no major hurdle if there is political will on the part of both parties, Seyoum said.

“Ethiopia has such a will, and it has no interest in keeping the crisis between the two countries going.”

“That was why we came up with the 5-pointy peace proposal more than one year ago which was welcomed by the international community, including by the Security Council,” Seyoum noted.

“What Ethiopia is looking for is a win-win outcome which is consistent with sustainable peace between the two countries,” Seyoum assures the officials.

(ENA/ST)