Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME268
2008-03-04 15:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY: ERITREAN BEHAVIOR UNACCEPTABLE, BUT MORE
how-toVZCZCXRO4819 OO RUEHTRO DE RUEHRO #0268 0641555 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 041555Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9932 INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0757 RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0580 RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0342 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0810 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 9282 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 2939 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 3091
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000268
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC TANAZ KHAMBATTA, IO/PSC ERIN CROWE,
AND AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO ER ET IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ERITREAN BEHAVIOR UNACCEPTABLE, BUT MORE
WORK NEEDED TO RESOLVE BORDER DISPUTE
REF: STATE 21218
Classified By: Political Officer Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000268
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC TANAZ KHAMBATTA, IO/PSC ERIN CROWE,
AND AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO ER ET IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ERITREAN BEHAVIOR UNACCEPTABLE, BUT MORE
WORK NEEDED TO RESOLVE BORDER DISPUTE
REF: STATE 21218
Classified By: Political Officer Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche March 4 to MFA East
Africa Office Director Mario Sammartino and UN Desk Officer
Gabriella Biondi, seeking Italian views on the future of the
UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and the
possibility of sanctions or other measures targeted at
Eritrea. Sammartino and Biondi agreed that Eritrea's
belligerent behavior was unacceptable and could establish a
worrisome precedent for other UN peacekeeping operations.
They said that Italy could support a sanctions resolution
against Eritrea if there was consensus among UNSC members to
take such action. Sammartino worried that Eritrea may not
respond constructively to sanctions, and said that any
measures should be directed toward changing behavior and not
simply punishing Eritrea.
3. (C) Sammartino said that while Eritrea's obstruction of
UNMEE's mission was unacceptable, the international community
needed to re-engage to push for a resolution to the boundary
dispute, which was at the heart of the current conflict, and
which remained unresolved almost 6 years since the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission issued its final
verdict. While he and Biondi agreed that it was
inappropriate to link the border dispute with Eritrea's
restrictions on UNMEE's freedom to operate, they said that
the international community and the UN must do more to press
for a final resolution of the boundary question.
4. (C) Biondi said Italy supports a continued UN presence on
the ground. She doubted that a civilian political mission
alone would be sufficient, and worried that reducing UNMEE
significantly, or scrapping it altogether, increased the
likelihood of violent conflict between the two sides.
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC TANAZ KHAMBATTA, IO/PSC ERIN CROWE,
AND AF/E
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO ER ET IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ERITREAN BEHAVIOR UNACCEPTABLE, BUT MORE
WORK NEEDED TO RESOLVE BORDER DISPUTE
REF: STATE 21218
Classified By: Political Officer Gabriel Escobar, for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche March 4 to MFA East
Africa Office Director Mario Sammartino and UN Desk Officer
Gabriella Biondi, seeking Italian views on the future of the
UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and the
possibility of sanctions or other measures targeted at
Eritrea. Sammartino and Biondi agreed that Eritrea's
belligerent behavior was unacceptable and could establish a
worrisome precedent for other UN peacekeeping operations.
They said that Italy could support a sanctions resolution
against Eritrea if there was consensus among UNSC members to
take such action. Sammartino worried that Eritrea may not
respond constructively to sanctions, and said that any
measures should be directed toward changing behavior and not
simply punishing Eritrea.
3. (C) Sammartino said that while Eritrea's obstruction of
UNMEE's mission was unacceptable, the international community
needed to re-engage to push for a resolution to the boundary
dispute, which was at the heart of the current conflict, and
which remained unresolved almost 6 years since the
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission issued its final
verdict. While he and Biondi agreed that it was
inappropriate to link the border dispute with Eritrea's
restrictions on UNMEE's freedom to operate, they said that
the international community and the UN must do more to press
for a final resolution of the boundary question.
4. (C) Biondi said Italy supports a continued UN presence on
the ground. She doubted that a civilian political mission
alone would be sufficient, and worried that reducing UNMEE
significantly, or scrapping it altogether, increased the
likelihood of violent conflict between the two sides.
SPOGLI