Shabait.com (Asmara)
9 November 2007
Asmara — President Isaias Afwerki today received and held talks with Mr. Edmond Mulet, UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations.
In the meeting at the Denden Hall, Mr. Mulet indicated that he was recently appointed to the post and that he would visit Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad, as well as deliver a message from the Secretary General.
Commending Eritrea's role in the East Sudan issue, he expressed wish that Eritrea would continue its positive role in the ongoing endeavors regarding the Darfur peace process.
As regards the border issue, the UN official pointed out that both the Secretary General and the Security Council are concerned with the Boundary Commission's decision on the finalization of demarcation only on paper. Mr. Mulet also stated that they believe that actual demarcation on the ground should take place and is Eritrea's right. Moreover, he gave extensive clarification about the complications such a situation would create.
Noting that the UN official's visit provides conducive atmosphere for conveying the Eritrean government's stance to the Secretary General and the Security Council, President Isaias underlined that the achievement of lasting peace in the Sudan requires process and that the Eritrean government has been making due contribution to this end right from the Naivasha Agreement, and would continue to do so.
Indicating that uncoordinated external initiatives and controversial issues regarding the nature of the peacekeeping force had been posing obstacle to the process, the President pointed out that despite such problems, Eritrea would nonetheless continues its endeavors and contributions along with other regional and international partners, as well as the Special UN Envoy.
He went on to underscore that in the view of the Eritrean government as regards the border issue, the greatest abuse and accountability squarely rests on the Security Council and the Secretary General, and not Ethiopia per se. In this regard, President Isaias asserted that Ethiopia's continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territory in gross violation of international law and binding agreements for about 5 years with the blessing of the UN Peacekeeping Mission for Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE) has no legal, political or moral justification whatsoever.
President Isaias added that the silence and the unjustified stance of the United Nations including the Security Council had been and continues to be an encouraging factor for this situation, and that the Government of Eritrea is not bent on making any utterances at this juncture regarding the so-called demarcation on paper.
Irrespective of any possible developments, the President stressed that the EEBC's final and binding ruling is not at all subject to any change. He further elaborated that the Ethiopian regime's posturing of one type or the other basically emanates from the encouragement of the UN itself and the US Administration in particular.
Regarding UNMEE, President Isaias reiterated the Eritrean government's desire to achieve genuine solution to sensitive issues, as previously explained during Mr. Kofi Annan's visit.
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