DJIBOUTI: TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 24 UNSC MEETING

UNCLAS STATE 067349 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL DJ ER ET XA XW SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI: TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 24 UNSC MEETING ¶1. USUN is instructed to draw from the following talking points for their June 24 formal meeting of the Security Council on Djibouti. Post reports Djiboutian Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita and Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf will be in attendance. Begin points: -- The United States remains extremely concerned with the situation along the Djibouti-Eritrea border. Today, I would like to make the following two points: -- First, on June 12 the Council adopted a Presidential Statement that condemned Eritrean military action against Djibouti, called upon the parties to commit to a ceasefire and show maximum restraint, and urged both sides to cooperate and engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve the matter peacefully. While no new violence has occurred, Eritrea remains in an aggressive military posture towards Djibouti and refuses to engage with Djibouti directly or through a third party to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the crisis. -- We reiterate our call to both sides, but particularly to Eritrea, to withdraw their military forces from the common border area, and to engage in a diplomatic process to resolve the matter peacefully in accordance with international law. -- If Eritrea fails to engage in a peaceful solution and pull its forces back from its border with Djibouti, the Security Council should consider further actions, including sanctions or other appropriate measures, against Eritrea. -- Second, the Security Council cannot afford to allow Eritrea to continue to play the role of regional destabilizer, especially when it comes at such a great cost to its neighbors. -- The conflict with Djibouti is the latest example of Eritrea's destabilizing behavior. In Somalia, the Eritrean government has supported extremist groups, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab, which refuses to negotiate on a peaceful political solution in Somalia. Eritrea has worked to discredit and disrupt the recent discussion between Somali parties in Djibouti. -- The Government of Eritrea restricted the activities of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) -- a force it freely and ivoluntarily invited to its country - preventing it from executing its mandate. Finally, the Eritrean government stopped all fuel delivery to UNMEE and consequently the UN was forced to withdraw UNMEE from Eritrea. This further destabilized an already dangerous situation. -- Eritrea has not been a responsible member of this prestigious body; it has not been a good neighbor to those in the region; and it is time to let the Eritrean government know that it must be held accountable for its actions. RICE