COUNCIL FAVORS TWO-WEEK ROLLOVER OF UNMEE'S MANDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000945

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ER ET PGOV PREL UNSC KPKO
SUBJECT: COUNCIL FAVORS TWO-WEEK ROLLOVER OF UNMEE'S MANDATE

REF: 05/08/2006 BRUNO-DEPARTMENT E-MAIL


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a May 8 briefing to the Security
Council, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) Assistant-Secretary-General Annabi told Members that
if the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) were to
continue its monitoring activities and eventually support
border demarcation, then its present force size must be
maintained and it must re-occupy the 18 posts from which it
was forced by Eritrean restrictions to vacate. The Greeks
sought Members' input on a proposal to extend UNMEE's current
mandate for an additional two weeks to accommodate the May 17
convening of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC),
and Members favored this go-slow approach, as they had
indicated informally to USUN during the week of May 1.
However, there was support for Ambassador Bolton's analysis
that 'the time had come' to downsize UNMEE in order to force
Ethiopia and Eritrea to live up to their obligations under
UNSCR 1640 (2005). We expect that the May 10 Experts Meeting
will produce a text that calls for downsizing after the May
17 meeting. END SUMMARY.

DPKO STILL NO HELP ON DOWNSIZING

2. (SBU) In meetings of UNMEE troop-contributing countries
and of the Security Council, DPKO A/SYG Annabi was
unambiguous: UNMEE is needed for demarcation., He
qualified the options for UNMEE,s future as he had presented
them January 3 by saying they were meant to be responses to
the negative impact of Eritrean restrictions. If UNMEE were
to assist with border demarcation, Annabi said, the ban on
its freedom of movement would have to be lifted. In this
case, the January 3 options would no longer apply. To
support demarcation, UNMEE would need both its full
monitoring capabilities and its original force strength
restored, Annabi said, and no option could provide the
conditions necessary for fulfillment of this aspect of its
mandate.,

GREECE BEGINS CALL FOR TWO-WEEK ROLLOVER

3. (SBU) Greek PR Vassilakis, whose delegation sponsors
Ethiopia/Eritrea resolutions on the Council, proposed a
two-week rollover of UNMEE,s mandate until May 30 to allow
for the May 17 EEBC meeting to take place. He added that if
there were no border progress by that date, the Council
must take some action,, but he reiterated what Annabi had
just stated about the options for UNMEE,s reconfiguration,
especially transformation to an observer mission, being
insufficient for supporting border demarcation.


4. (SBU) While all delegations favored a technical rollover
this time and agreed UNMEE reconfiguration should come after
the May 17 EEBC meeting, a growing sense of impatience
emerged among Members. Chinese Deputy PR Zhang, for example,
said China was ready to consider other options for UNMEE,s
future beyond a technical rollover. UK PR Jones Parry, as
his delegation had privately indicated to USUN, noted that
the Council could not hang on indefinitely before making a
fundamental change, to UNMEE,s mandate. Slovakian PR
Burian, whose delegation had long favored Option 2
(relocation of force headquarters and elements to Addis Ababa
with a liaison office in Asmara),said work needed to be done
toward such a change. Even Qatari PR al-Nasser remarked that
the Council should send a clear message that the parties,
intransigence must be put off.


5. (SBU) Japanese PR Oshima, echoing USUN talking points,
said UNMEE,s mandate must be streamlined, to reflect the
potential progress being made on border demarcation. Danish
PR Loj noted that accepting a technical rollover (as her
delegation indicated it would) could be interpreted as the
Council,s downplaying the problems between Ethiopia and
Eritrea, since the SC had not been consistent in its linkage
of rollovers with EEBC meetings in past resolutions. She
urged sustained contingency planning for UNMEE downsizing.


6. (SBU) The African delegations were more measured.
Congolese PR and SC President Ikouebe agreed to the two-week
rollover but warned that subsequent consideration of UNMEE,s
mandate should be based on the degree of parties, compliance
with UNSCR 1640 (2005). Tanzanian Deputy PR Manongi warned
that downsizing could negatively impact the humanitarian
situation in and around the Temporary Security zone (TSZ),

USUN NEW Y 00000945 002 OF 002


and must thus be considered carefully.

U.S., FRANCE STILL SUPPORT FORCE REDUCTION

7. (SBU) French PR de La Sabliere got right to the point:
Given the lack of tangible progress by the parties toward
demarcation, UNMEE should be downsized to a force of 1,500
now as a way to increase pressure ahead of the May 17
meeting. Ambassador Bolton agreed, adding that reducing the
scope of the parties, security blanket, could also
encourage their compliance with UNSCR 1640. He urged that
the Council send an unmistakable, signal in this
resolution that UNMEE,s size must be reduced.


8. (SBU) The Greeks will hold the first Experts Meeting on
the draft resolution text (contained refmail) May 10; given
the vast Council support for a two-week rollover, we are
working with Members to secure language in OP4 that would
ensure transformation to a force of 1,500 come May 30 by
linking it to the modest border demarcation progress
currently underway.
BOLTON