With food and fuel supplies dwindling for blue helmets in Eritrea, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the top United Nations peacekeeping official today appealed to the country's Government to cease obstructing the temporary relocation of the personnel and equipment of the United Nations mission across the border to Ethiopia.
Asmara cut off diesel fuel supplies to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) last December, paralyzing the operation. Its advance units started moving by road on 11 February, while UNMEE's main body began its relocation yesterday.
But in a statement released by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General said that so far, Asmara has only allowed six vehicles to cross into Ethiopia. In one case yesterday, "UNMEE personnel were threatened and the equipment seized."
He also voiced concern about the "disturbing" development in which the Eritrean commercial company supplying rations to UNMEE today said that it will no longer fulfil its contractual obligations, leaving the mission with only a few days of emergency food left.
Stressing that the relocation is temporary, Mr. Ban said that he "is in close contact with the Security Council and the Troop Contributing Countries, and the Eritrean authorities are being contacted at the highest level to seek and immediate resolution of this unacceptable situation."
Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno briefed the Security Council in a closed meeting on the "untenable" situation.
"We are in a situation where it's getting harder and harder to stay and it's getting harder and harder to leave," he told reporters after he addressed the 15-member body. "We're running out of fuel, we're running out of food."
Mr. Guéhenno stressed that it is "unacceptable" that blue helmets, who are deployed to provide assistance, become victims.
"It's a question of trust between the UN and its troop contributing countries," he said, calling on Eritrea to immediately resume its cooperation with the world body.
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This is another futile attempt by the western media and their handlers to paint a dire and ugly picture of Africans, to insult their humanity and undermine the sovereign rights of Eritreans. These shameful and disgraceful antics would never happen if the peacekeepers were on another continent, but somehow, it is okay to paint Africans as "dangerous". This move to escalate the situation by Ban Ki Moon is not only racist but also unjust
Instead of restoring Eritrea's sovereignty and calling for the removal of Ethiopian forces from sovereign Eritrean territories,Ban Ki Moon decides to create a crisis to absolve the UN of its responsibilities. UNMEE can go, but there is a proper way of conducting such affairs and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Eritrea must be respected. This is a grave mistake and the consequences are going to be even uglier adn the UN Secruity Council bears full responsibility for the consequences.
What is the point of exagerrating the facts on the ground, why is Ban Ki Moon escalating the issues...is he looking to start another war? What are his motives. Certainly it is not about food or fuel, these are just convenient pretexts. In all the years that UNMEE has been in Eritrea, not a single peacekeeper has lost his life or has ever been in danger. Compared to peacekeepers in the Congo, Liberia, Somalia, Darfur, Chad etc. those in Eritrea are better off then in their own home countries. Ban Ki moon chose to compromise UNMEE instead of calling on Ethiopia to obey the law and the UN Charter
The UNMEE peacekeepers are victims of Washington's real politik and Ban Ki Moon's misplaced loyalties. They have enjoyed the hospitality and magnanimity of the Eritrean people and they can individually attest to it despite ban Ki Moon's self serving misinformations. This too will pass and the UN now finds itself less relevant on issues of peace, stability and security. As a matter of fact, it is now complicit in Ethiopia's aggression and occupation, n ot to mention violations of international law and international war crimes.
The rule of law will prevail over the law of the jungle...inspite of Turtle Bay!
My question to sophia is this: Do you think boarder demarcation is peacefull and the only solutoin to the problem in the horn or to All Africa? How can you sleep, when there is not peace in your neibghours heart? wonts to be a supperior attitude? After all, are not we brothers(Africa! as you menshined)can/wont not talk to each other and blaming others? I wonder, what Education do we learn beyond the limit of blindness to see, the reasonable and sensfull answer for all humanity.
My question to sophia is this: Do you think boarder demarcation is peacefull and the only solutoin to the problem in the horn or to All Africa? How can you sleep, when there is not peace in your neibghours heart? wonts to be a supperior attitude? After all, are not we brothers(Africa! as you menshined)can/wont not talk to each other and blaming others? I wonder, what Education do we learn beyond the limit of blindness to see, the reasonable and sensfull answer for all humanity.
Sophia, One of your comments make me very angry. You said : "In all the years that UNMEE has been in Eritrea, not a single peacekeeper has lost his life or has ever been in danger" This is not true.
On the 11 February 2002, Slovakian peacekeeper Corporal Vladimir Kollar died in a road accident.
On 3 August 2003 Senior Gunner Jairo Otiso Nyambane, a Kenyan peacekeeper, died of a suspected heart attack.
3 March 2006 Lance Corporal Kamble Ramesh Annappa - an Indian peacekeeper - died after a medical evacuation that took much longer than necessary due to the ban on UN helicopter flights.
Please don't forget these men.
Hi Sophia Recently there was an article on washington post regarding millions of dollars stolen or misused by the UN in the Sudan. And, of course we can't forget the corrupt Kofi and his Son Kojo's involvement in the corruption involving contracts in Iraq. I'm sure such practices are the norm rather than the exception in the UN. And, they will not be held accountable and infact personal corruption seems to be an asset for getting the top Job at the UN. Then one can use the cover of UNSG or some high level UN official to engage in criminal activities as long as he/she is willing to take direct instructions from the super powers. Ban Ki is no different than kofi, he is simply an asian house nigger.
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