ONE KILLED AS ERITREAN INTRUDERS ATTACK UNMEE

S E C R E T ASMARA 000885 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016 TAGS: PGOV KPKO UNSC PINR ER SUBJECT: ONE KILLED AS ERITREAN INTRUDERS ATTACK UNMEE SENTRY REF: A) 231752Z OCT 06 ASMARA IIR 6 908 0036 07 B) 241720Z OCT 06 IIR 6 908 0039 07 Classified By: AMB. Scott H. DeLisi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On October 21 between 20:00 and 21:00, an UNMEE Jordanian soldier shot and killed an Eritrean intruder in the Giega UNMEE camp near Barentu in UN West Sector. The Eritrean, accompanied by two others who managed to escape during the melee, illegally entered the camp by cutting through the barbed wire fence. The Jordanian sentry warned the intruders to stop and when they did not fired two shots into the air. The three intruders armed with sharp weapons then attacked the soldier. During the struggle the soldier discharged a third shot, striking one of the assailants in the head. The two other intruders fled the scene and the injured intruder received preliminary medical attention from UNMEE but died the next day at a local hospital. ¶2. (S) Following the incident both UNMEE and the Eritrean police initiated an investigation. Reportedly on October 23 the Eritrean Liaison Officer for the Sector West requested the UNMEE Sector West Commander turn over the soldier to Eritrean authorities for questioning and a subsequent trial. The Liaison Officer also reportedly told UNMEE West Sector Commander that if UNMEE did not comply he might not be able to restrain the local population and militia (Ref A). ¶3. (S) UNMEE has remained in close contact with Eritrea's Commissioner to UNMEE, Col. Zacharias Ogbagaber, over the incident and has consulted with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) in New York. After speaking with DPKO, UNMEE declined to surrender the soldier who, by all accounts, acted within UNMEE rules of engagement. UNMEE protested to Col. Zacharias regarding the Liaison officer,s demands and Zacharias stated he would go to Barentu to address the issue with local authorities. Ambassador Leandre Basole, UNMEE Head of the Political Affairs, confirmed to PolOff October 25, that UNMEE anticipated the situation would be resolved quietly and the matter dropped. (Comment: The lack of press regarding the incident supports the claim the Eritreans wish to resolve the situation with minimal attention. End Comment.) ¶4. (C) Comment: While attempted thefts from UNMEE camps do occur on both sides of the border, this type of armed intrusion on the Eritrean side is unusual. Initial reports claimed the intruders were attempting to steal food supplies from the camps, however, no one is certain of their motivation. Conversations with Embassy humanitarian aid contacts whom have recently traveled near Barentu revealed that security is tighter than usual in the area, which may be a result of this incident. Moreover, with travel restrictions still in place and the lack of information provided by the GSE we cannot assess whether humanitarian conditions in Barentu area are so serious as to drive local residents to try and raid an UNMEE camp. However, although we may not know &why8 this attack occurred we, and UNMEE, welcome the GSE apparent decision not to add this incident to the long list of unresolved contentious issues between Eritrea and the international community. End Comment. DELISI