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UN appeals to Eritreans over border peace flights

The UN Security Council late on Tuesday warned Ethiopia and Eritrea against reigniting their border war and urged Eritrea to immediately reverse its ban on all helicopter flights by UN peacekeepers.

In a tough statement approved by all 15 council members and read at a formal meeting, the council called on both countries "to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat of use of force against each other."

Council members expressed "grave concern" at Eritrea's decision to restrict helicopter flights by UN peacekeepers in Eritrean airspace which came into effect yesterday. The ban violates Security Council resolutions calling on the country to provide access so the UN mission can perform its duties, the statement said.

Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, head of the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, has warned recently that the border dispute could lead to a new war. He urged the Security Council and African Union to take urgent steps toward a resolution.

The Horn of Africa nations fought a two-and-a-half-year border war that ended after a December 2000 peace agreement. The deal provided for an independent commission to rule on the position of their disputed 1,000km-long border.

But Ethiopia has refused to accept the decision issued in April three years ago by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission -- part of the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, Netherlands. Ethiopia objects to the awarding of the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea.

The Security Council underlined the need to implement the boundary commission's decision "without further delay," which it said would allow the UN mission to fulfill its mandate.

The 3,200-strong UN peacekeeping force monitors a buffer zone along the border separating the two armies.

UN Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno said that freedom of movement is essential for the effective operation of the UN force, and he expressed gratitude that the council responded with "a very unambiguous and strong statement" on the same day the Eritreans announced the ban on helicopter flights.

He said it was very difficult to tell how serious the threat of renewed conflict is.

"What I can say is if we are not able to move around effectively with our helicopters we will have much less visibility on what's going on on the ground, which can in turn create suspicion and more instability," Guehenno said.

"It's not a good situation if the peacekeeping mission cannot have a full view of what's going on," he said. "We hope that the government of Eritrea will reverse its decision and that our operation can operate for peace in the region."

Guehenno said most flights by UN peacekeepers are helicopter flights, though fixed-wing aircraft are used to travel between the capitals of Ethiopia and Eritrea, via third countries.
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