This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7534623.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Eritrea allays fears over new war | Eritrea allays fears over new war |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Eritrea says the UN's decision to end the peace mission on its border with Ethiopia will not make war likely. | Eritrea says the UN's decision to end the peace mission on its border with Ethiopia will not make war likely. |
| Tens of thousands of people died in a two-year border war that ended in 2000. | Tens of thousands of people died in a two-year border war that ended in 2000. |
| A government spokesman said the UN mission had only been "symbolic" and diplomatic efforts to remove Ethiopia from Eritrean soil would continue. | A government spokesman said the UN mission had only been "symbolic" and diplomatic efforts to remove Ethiopia from Eritrean soil would continue. |
| Eritrea withdrew its support for the UN peace force in February as it was angered by Ethiopia's refusal to comply with an international border ruling. | Eritrea withdrew its support for the UN peace force in February as it was angered by Ethiopia's refusal to comply with an international border ruling. |
| On Wednesday, the UN Security Council voted to end its 1,700-strong mission, known as Unmee. | On Wednesday, the UN Security Council voted to end its 1,700-strong mission, known as Unmee. |
| In April, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned of a possible return to war if the peacekeepers pulled out of Eritrea and Ethiopia. | In April, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned of a possible return to war if the peacekeepers pulled out of Eritrea and Ethiopia. |
| 'No impact' | 'No impact' |
| Eritrean government spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel said the termination of the UN mission mandate was "long overdue" and would have little impact on the region. | Eritrean government spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel said the termination of the UN mission mandate was "long overdue" and would have little impact on the region. |
| Legally Ethiopia's occupation of Eritrea is untenable Yemane Gebremeskel Eritrean government spokesman | Legally Ethiopia's occupation of Eritrea is untenable Yemane Gebremeskel Eritrean government spokesman |
| "Unmee's presence was really symbolic, it was not a peace enforcement force, it does not have the capability of deterrent - so it's not going to have any impact," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "Unmee's presence was really symbolic, it was not a peace enforcement force, it does not have the capability of deterrent - so it's not going to have any impact," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| He said that the job of delimiting and demarcating the border between the two countries had been finished, so the UN's mission should end. | He said that the job of delimiting and demarcating the border between the two countries had been finished, so the UN's mission should end. |
| But he added that Ethiopia continued to occupy Eritrean sovereign territory and the UN Security Council was not talking about it. | |
| "Legally Ethiopia's occupation of Eritrea is untenable - it cannot be accepted by the international community - I think our focus has been on the legal end and the diplomatic dimensions of the issue," he said. | "Legally Ethiopia's occupation of Eritrea is untenable - it cannot be accepted by the international community - I think our focus has been on the legal end and the diplomatic dimensions of the issue," he said. |
| Before Wednesday's UN Security Council vote, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he thought a return to hostilities unlikely. | Before Wednesday's UN Security Council vote, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he thought a return to hostilities unlikely. |
| "The peacekeepers played an important role, but one cannot say that their role was irreplaceable in the sense of maintaining the relative peace along the borders that we now have," he told the BBC. | "The peacekeepers played an important role, but one cannot say that their role was irreplaceable in the sense of maintaining the relative peace along the borders that we now have," he told the BBC. |