Fears of Ethiopia-Eritrea war
2005-12-12 22:01
Addis Ababa - The United Nations said on Monday it feared a "miscalculation" by either side could spark a new war between arch-rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea as it welcomed an Ethiopian decision to pull back troops from the increasingly tense border.
"We believe that there is always a risk of war by miscalculation," said Jean-Marie Guehenno, the head of UN peacekeeping operations.
"Nobody should be complacent in the present situation."
Guehenno is one of two senior officials UN chief Kofi Annan dispatched to the region to calm soaring tensions after Eritrea last week ordered the expulsion of North American and European peacekeepers.
He spoke to reporters in Addis Ababa after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Algiers peace accord that ended the 1998-2000 war and before heading to Asmara.
Amid rising fears of new conflict spurred by sabre-rattling rhetoric from Eritrea and troop movements on both sides, Guehenno said the world body "appreciated" Ethiopia's weekend announcement that it would comply with UN security council demand to reduce forces on the border.
'Profound concern'
The European Union announced on Monday it would send a high-level envoy from Britain - which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency - to lead an EU mission to the region on December 17.
"There's profound concern about that situation," said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw after talks with his EU colleagues in Brussels.
"We are keeping this situation under very close review."
"We called on both sides to allow the United Nations mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea to carry out its mission fully and implement without delay the decision of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border commission," he added.
Guehenno said vows from both capitals that neither wants to return to war were not enough to prevent a repeat of the bloody two-year conflict that claimed some 80 000 lives.
"Both countries have stressed that they don't want to go to war, that's not quite enough, there are concrete actions that need to be taken," Guehenno said.
Earlier on Monday, Eritrea dismissed Ethiopia's troop pledge as irrelevant, accusing Annan and the world body of "meddling" by ignoring Addis Ababa's refusal to accept a binding 2002 border demarcation emanating from the Algiers agreement.
"The withdrawal or non-withdrawal of Ethiopian troops is a matter that concerns the Ethiopian government only and to which tune it can dance alone," the foreign ministry said.
The UN has consistently refused to provide specifics about the numbers of troops involved, but diplomats believe that each nation now has at least 100 000 soldiers on either side of the border.