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UNSC Urges Eritrea to Immediately Rescind Its Ban On UN Flights

The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)
NEWS
November 25, 2005
Posted to the web November 28, 2005

By ENA
Addis Ababa
The UN Security Council on Wednesday urged Eritrea to immediately rescind its
ban on United Nations flights in its airspace, according to the UN News Centre.
In its unanimous resolution on the two countries, the Council demanded that
Eritrea, without delay or preconditions, reverse its 4 October decision to ban
helicopter flights of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) along with
any other restrictions on their mandated operations.
The Security Council also demanded that Ethiopia accept fully and without
further delay the binding decision of the Ethio-Eritrea Boundary Commission and
immediately take concrete steps to enable without preconditions, the Commission
to demarcate the border completely and promptly. The Council in this regard
expressed its determination to monitor closely the actions of both parties in
relation to the border demarcation and to keep the matter under consideration.
The Council has also urged both parties return to their December 2004 levels of
troop deployment within thirty days, refraining from threats or the use of
force.
In the matter of the flight ban and the redeployments, the Council evoked
Article 14 of the UN Charter when expressing its determination to consider
measures for non-compliance. Measures under Article 14 can include sanctions.
Both the Security Council and Secretary-General Kofi Annan have previously
called on Eritrea to lift the ban, which has forced UNMEE to evacuate 18 of its
posts in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) between the two countries, and
endangered peacekeepers who need to be evacuated for medical treatment.
Mr. Annan has warned that the situation could lead to another round of
"devastating hostilities," and while calling for lifting the Eritrean ban, he
has also urged the Council to address the underlying causes of the stalemate in
the peace process between the two countries.

   

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