Ethiopian armed units have returned to the buffer zone on the disputed border with Eritrea, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) said on Thursday. UNMEE said it had asked for the immediate withdrawal of forces from the area. Three companies of Ethiopian soldiers had been sighted approximately six km inside the proposed zone, southeast of the southern Eritrean town of Senafe - despite the UN having previously verified Ethiopian redeployment on 7 March.

UNMEE said it had presented the information to Ethiopian military authorities on 17 March, who agreed to investigate the matter. A reconnaissance made by a joint group of UNMEE military observers and Ethiopian military officers on Tuesday confirmed the presence of the Ethiopian units. The Ethiopian military authorities later informed UNMEE that they would not withdraw their forces from this area, which UNMEE said was a "setback". According to the statement released by UNMEE, the Ethiopian authorities "acknowledged that the area had not been included in the redeployment plans previously presented to UNMEE". The Mission is stepping up its patrols in the area and said it would "closely monitor the situation".

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea now have armed units in the proposed Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the disputed border, despite a previous agreement to redeploy troops and facilitate the peacekeeping mission.