Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASMARA506
2008-10-17 07:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:
AFRICA UNION PULLS OUT OF ERITREA
how-toVZCZCXRO7821 RR RUEHROV DE RUEHAE #0506 2910741 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 170741Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9962 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIG/GIA WASHDC RQEQDIA/DIA WASHDC RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000506
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO ER
SUBJECT: AFRICA UNION PULLS OUT OF ERITREA
Classified By: Amb. Ronald McMullen for reason 1.4(d).
(C) The African Union Liaison Mission for Ethiopia/Eritrea
(AU/OLMEE) has closed its doors as of Tuesday, October 14.
The telephones have been disconnected at their primary office
and their extension at the UNMEE office rings unanswered.
PolOff met a week ago with AU/OLMEE Senior Political
Representative, Rodney Kiwa, who admitted that OLMEE would be
closing down shortly. According to Kiwa, the Eritrean
government did not request OLMEE's departure. Instead, Kiwa
continued, he felt OLMEE's effectiveness as a liaison to
UNMEE had come to an end. Curiously, OLMEE did not face the
same difficulties as its UN counterpart during its seven-year
tenure in Eritrea. OLMEE had few, if any, problems obtaining
travel permits. As for fuel, they simply filled up their
four vehicles on the local market. OLMEE will be shipping
all its equipment and files to Addis. The Eritrean
government had earlier declined an offer of OLMEE's equipment.
MCMULLEN