Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission

This is in accordance with priorities established in collaboration with the Eritrean authorities.

On their part, the Eritrean authorities demonstrated a comparable degree of transparency.

(Signed) Sir Elihu Lauterpacht President of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission

Reaffirms that Ethiopia and Eritrea have the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Algiers Agreements and the decision of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission, by making full use of the existing framework of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission,

However, a response from the Eritrean authorities regarding the issue is still outstanding.

I appeal to the Government of Eritrea to address the matter urgently, for the sake of safety and economy in UNMEE operations.

In another development, a shooting incident in Fawlina, Eritrea, cost the life of one member of the Eritrean militia.

As indicated in my previous report, the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission has suspended its activities in the area.

The Eritrean authorities recently lifted the restrictions imposed on the activities of certain religious groups in the country.

Those decisions have had an adverse impact on humanitarian activities and have exacerbated the situation of vulnerable Eritrean communities.

These incidents resulted in the deaths of four Ethiopians and one Eritrean militiaman.

As will be recalled, the Algiers Agreement provided for a Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), encompassing 25,000 km2 of Eritrean territory.

I invite the Eritrean authorities to assist UNMEE in extending its technical cooperation in human rights work in Eritrea.

The growing sense of frustration in Eritrea over the stalemate in the peace process has been reflected in the commentaries and editorials in the country's media.

Eritrean Airlines received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan to start two flights a week each for Karachi and Lahore.

Those interviewed complained of acts of discrimination and or ill treatment suffered at the hands of the Eritrean authorities.

The lack of cooperation with UNMEE by the Eritrean authorities, has produced conditions on the ground which prevent UMEE implementing its mandate satisfactorily.

On September 21, 2006, Eritrean Airlines entered an accord with the Government of Pakistan to start direct flights between Eritrea and Pakistan.

Further efforts by United Nations Headquarters and the Mission have not succeeded in resolving the stand off with the Government of Eritrea to enable the Italian contingent to resume its activities.

I therefore, once again, invite the Eritrean authorities to assist UNMEE in extending its technical cooperation in human rights work in the country.

This is the seventeenth report of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission, covering the period from 1 March to 30 May 2005.

Calls upon Ethiopia to accept fully the decision of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission and to enable, without preconditions, the Commission to demarcate the border completely and promptly,

Even though financial assistance, on a modest scale, was provided by the Eritrean authorities, the families still face critical shortages of food, water and grazing land for their livestock.

No major movement or redeployment of Eritrean troops has been observed, except for some rather limited training activities in areas close to the Temporary Security Zone.

Calls also on the parties to implement completely and without further delay the decision of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission and to create the necessary conditions for demarcation to proceed expeditiously,

As mentioned in my previous report, severe restrictions imposed by the Eritrean authorities on UNMEE military police in Asmara continued in spite of the Mission's protests, which went unheeded.

In its seventeenth report, contained in annex I, the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission has indicated that in accordance with the schedule notified in paragraph 32 of its sixteenth report, it has suspended its activities in the area.

Deeply concerned with the continued lack of progress in the implementation of the final and binding decision of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission, and with Ethiopia's ongoing rejection of significant parts of the Boundary Commission's decision,

At the same time, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, has stated to the press that members of the Eritrean Defence Force have infiltrated the Temporary Security Zone, and urged the United Nations to take measures to restore the status quo .

Little attention had been accorded to the direct relationship between Ethiopia's formal rejection of the border ruling made by the independent Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission and the fate of some 65,000 internally displaced persons.

The UNMEE Mine Action Coordination Centre's Mine Risk Education field teams focused their outreach activities on the recently returned internally displaced persons in Sector West, in accordance with the priorities established in collaboration with the Eritrean authorities.

Tsehai Afewerki Netsereab of Eritrea was the recipient in 2005 of a UNESCO Israel co sponsored fellowship to study economics at the Golda Meier Mount Carmel International Training Center.