Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE67349
2008-06-23 19:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

DJIBOUTI: TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 24 UNSC MEETING

Tags:  UNSC PREL DJ ER ET XA XW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #7349 1751943
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 231944Z JUN 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2262
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 5188
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 6823
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 3717
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

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