Eritrea, Ethiopia may involve in new war

GIC
Feb 19,2006(KHARTOUM)

19/02/2006


-The troop build-up along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea means a miscalculation by either side could result in open conflict, the UN warns.
Eritrea is now estimated to have nearly half its armored units in the demilitarized zone on the border.
UN troops say Eritrean restrictions on patrols and helicopter flights mean 60% of the border cannot be monitored.
"When you have reduced monitoring on both sides, there are dangers that the chances of miscalculation increase. And that is our greatest worry," said UN peacekeeping commander Major General Rajender Singh.
"I am not saying that things which are happening today, will lead tomorrow to war. But a situation may in fact deteriorate to that level in which the worst can happen. And the worst is the war, of course."
The UN has reassessed the border situation between the two countries from "stable" to "tense". UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was very concerned
It is recalled that he had called on both sides to "exercise maximum restraint and to immediately halt any action that might be misinterpreted by the other side" or that could jeopardize security arrangements agreed in their 2000 peace deal.
The head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, said he had briefed the Security Council members about the gravity of the situation and the engagement of member states was now essential.
Diplomats in Asmara are expressing their deep concerns about the way the Eritrean regime is handling the border issue and other democracy related. “The acts of the Eritrean president are really irresponsible and may lead to an outbreak of war at any time,” said some diplomats.
It is worth mentioning that the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki said in a letter to the Security Council that it had lost credibility in the international body of UN for failing to force Ethiopia to pull out from the border town of Badme, which was awarded to Eritrea by the boundary commission.
Diplomats say the Eritrean government seems intent on war; and the Eritrean Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebremeskel described the reports of Eritrean military movements towards the border as "an action aims at defending his country’s sovereignty".
There are also fears that the restrictions on peacekeepers could cause incidents to escalate into something more serious.