GSE PNGS UNMEE SENIOR MANAGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000317

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E, IO AND L
LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO ER
SUBJECT: GSE PNGS UNMEE SENIOR MANAGER


Classified By: AMBASSADOR SCOTT H. DELISI, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (SBU) On March 16, the Government of the State of Eritrea
(GSE) declared persona non grata Senior Manager David Bax of
the UN Mission for Eritrea and Ethiopia Mine Action
Coordination Committee(UNMEE-MACC). Bax was given four days
to depart Eritrea. He left on March 17 for Addis Ababa,
where he will continue his work as MACC Senior Manager from
the other side of the border.


2. (C) Post was unofficially provided a copy of the GSE
diplomatic note ordering Mr. Bax,s departure. The note
cites UNMEE-MACC for &being negligent and violating Eritrean
regulations8; &illegal recruitment8; &cars being used to
smuggle people out of the country8; and &providing UNMEE ID
cards for foreigners who have entered the country for other
purposes.8 The GSE also protested two specific cases:
UNMEE-MACC,s rehiring in Asmara of a former military
observer from South Africa who had been previously expelled
from Eritrea; and UNMEE-MACC,s assistance to Embassy Asmara
in the demolition of an armored vehicle in spring 2006 &in
the absence of any local authority and without the knowledge
and sanctions of senior UNMEE officials.8


3. (C) Post notes that the final complaint concerns the
Defense Attache,s lightly armored vehicle which UNMEE-MACC
destroyed in spring 2006. The DATT had sent a letter to
General Sebhat, Ministry of Defense, in May 2006 requesting
MOD support and guidance in destroying the vehicle.
Receiving no response from the MOD to this request, DATT
arranged with UNMEE-MACC to destroy the vehicle in line with
U.S. regulations. Directly prior to the PNG of Bax, post
received a diplomatic note dated March 14 protesting the
&illegal transfer and demolishing of the vehicle...in
violation of VCDR and the rules and regulations of the
country8 and demanding an explanation. Post plans to
respond generically to this diplomatic note requesting the
MFA to provide the provisions of the Vienna Convention and
local law that this violated (if any) and suggesting a
meeting to discuss these issues at a future date once L has
had a chance to review the GSE response. (Comment: Post has
been waiting for over seven weeks for a response to the
Ambassador,s request to the Presidential Advisor to discuss
the provisions of the Vienna Convention which the GSE claims
allows them to open our diplomatic pouches. We would welcome
the opportunity to meet with them on these issues ) but we
doubt the GSE will follow through on either the car
demolition or the pouch issue. End Comment.)


4. (C) Comment: While the GSE has had a few legitimate
grievances with the UN in the past, we do not believe any of
the reasons cited in Bax, case warranted him being declared
PNG nor do we believe they reflect the real reasons behind
his expulsion. The GSE has, since October, 2005,
increasingly restricted and curtailed UNMEE activities in
Eritrea, including forcing the removal of all American,
European, and Canadian personnel (Bax is a South African
national). It has also denied recognition to the acting SRSG
(who cannot even enter Eritrea at this point),essentially
ensuring that UNMEE,s ability to address substantive policy
issues with the GSE is nil.


5. We believe that the GSE is also motivated by an intention
to curtail further the movement of UNMEE-MACC personnel in
the TSZ where they have operated with a reasonable degree of
freedom in the past. This may be related to recently
observed movements by the Eritrean military in the area
where UNMEE-MACC staff have been demining. UNMEE deminers
were restricted in the past few weeks from entering
previously accessible areas in the TSZ, accused of being
spies, and PNG,ing the head of UNMEE will further disrupt
and delay their operations. Bax,s expulsion represents yet
another nail in the coffin for UNMEE in Eritrea and raises
the question of whether any further demining can be done in
this country. Given the GSE,s track record with the UN,
NGOs and other international entities that have raised GSE
ire, UNMEE-MACC is preparing for the worst. UNMEE-MACC has
told us that they may start to move their heavy equipment
across the border to Ethiopia, in the event that the GSE
closes them completely and then tries to appropriate their

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equipment. End Comment.
DeLisi