UN Eritrea peacekeepers expelled

Both sides have reinforced their border military positions recently
Eritrea has expelled Canadian, Russian, European and United States peacekeepers from the United Nations mission monitoring the border with Ethiopia.
The decision makes UN observation of the tense border almost impossible, says the BBC's Ed Harris in Asmara.

In a letter to the UN mission, the Eritrean government gave staff of those nationalities 10 days to leave.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea are tense and there are fears of a new war over their disputed border.

The two states went to war in 1998. A peace deal in 2000 led to a border ruling by an independent commission.

There are some 3,300 peacekeepers and military observers from some 40 countries, 191 civilians and 74 UN volunteers working at the mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

It is not immediately clear how many staff are affected.

Restrictions

Ethiopia has not yet withdrawn its forces from the town of Badme, which was awarded to Eritrea.

Frustrated with the stalemate, Eritrea has imposed restrictions on the activities of the UN peacekeeping force patrolling the border buffer zone in the past few months.

"Members of Unmee with nationalities from USA, Canada and Europe, including the Russian Federation are requested to the leave the country within 10 days of this notice," said the letter sent to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee), according to the AFP news agency.

"This notice comprises all those with the above nationalities irrespective of (the) sector they are working in," said the letter, which was signed by Colonel Zecarias Ogbagaber, Eritrea's liaison officer with the UN mission.