African Union calls for restraint after Djibouti-Eritrea border tensions
June 17, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Chairperson of the Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has called for calm and restraint on Saturday after accusations by Djibouti that Eritrea occupied a disputed border area between the two countries.
The accusations come after Qatar’s decision to pull out its peacekeepers from the disputed area in reaction to Asmara decision to cut diplomatic relations with Doha in support of Saudi Arabia, the Arab United Emirates and Bahrain who accused the tiny Gulf of supporting terrorism.
“The Chairperson of the Commission appeals for calm, restraint and stresses that the AU is fully seized with the matter,” said a statement released in the first hours of Saturday.
Mahamat highlighted that the AU Commission, in close consultations with the authorities in Djibouti and Eritrea, is in the process of deploying a fact-finding mission to the Djibouti-Eritrea border.
The Chadian diplomat further said that the regional body is ready to assist Djibouti and Eritrea to normalise their relations and promote good neighbourliness within the framework of relevant AU instruments.
Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssef stated on Friday that their army was “on alert”.
He further disclosed they lodged complaints with the United Nations and the African Union.
The United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the situation in a closed-doors meeting on Monday.
(ST)