DEMARCHE TO UN SECURITY COUNCIL CAPITALS AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 079539 SENSITIVE C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO PBTS ET ER SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO UN SECURITY COUNCIL CAPITALS AND THEIR UN MISSIONS IN NY ON U.S. WAY FORWARD ON UNMEE STATE 00079539 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Department requests posts in Security Council capitals and USUN to share U.S. thinking on the way ahead on the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) with host governments and their respective UN Missions in New York. Embassies in Security Council capitals see paragraphs 2 and 4. USUN see paragraphs 3 and 4. Posts and USUN should draw from the discussion elements in paragraph 6 and the background in paragraphs 7)11 below when delivering this demarche. -------------- Objectives -------------- ¶2. (SBU) For Embassies in Security Council capitals, Department requests Posts pursue the following objectives: -Note that the U.S. will not support a roll-over of UNMEE as Ethiopia and Eritrea are no longer supportive of continuation of the Mission. -Underscore that given Ethiopia,s and Eritrea,s lack of interest in establishing another UN presence on their territories at this time, we think the UN Security Council should adopt a new resolution with the following elements: (1) Terminate UNMEE; (2) Call on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to maintain their commitments to the Algiers Agreements; (3) Request the Secretary General to continue to use his good offices to engage with Ethiopia and Eritrea and to report on how the UN could most effectively support normalized relations and facilitate implementation of the Algiers Agreements, including the possibility of a follow-on UN presence in the future. ¶3. (SBU) Department requests USUN pursue the objectives in paragraph 2 above with appropriate UN Missions in New York. ¶4. (SBU) Note that the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) informed the Department that the Special Representative of the Secretary General for UNMEE, Azouz Ennifar, was scheduled to meet with Ethiopian Deputy Foreign Minister Tekeda Alemu on July 22. Department had not received a read-out of the meeting when this cable was drafted. ¶5. (SBU) Reporting Deadline and POC: Posts should report host governments,/missions, responses to this demarche by front channel cable by Tuesday, July 29. Point of Contact is IO/PSC, Tanaz Khambatta. ¶6. (SBU) Posts and USUN should draw upon the elements below in discussions with host governments or UN Missions. Begin discussion elements: -Stress that we will not support a roll-over of UNMEE. The UN Security Council must terminate the Mission since it can no longer execute its mandate. Note that Eritrea takes the position that UNMEE,s mandate ended when the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC,s) demarcation by map coordinates decision became final in November 2007. Also note that Ethiopia has not voiced a desire for the Council to extend the current Mission's mandate. -Emphasize that we can not back the establishment of a UN follow-on presence without the consent and support of Ethiopia and/or Eritrea. Highlight that a Chapter VI mandate would require the consent of both countries, as well as their STATE 00079539 002.2 OF 003 cooperation for the mission to successfully execute its duties. Note that Eritrea has explicitly expressed its disinterest with UN engagement, and that although Ethiopia stated in its June 17 letter to the President of the UN Security Council that it would "never look at a request for UN engagement lightly," Ethiopia has made no affirmations or actions to appeal for a UN presence at this time. -Emphasize that even if the UN Security Council does not establish a follow-on presence immediately after the termination of UNMEE, the option to create a UN presence in the future is still a possibility if one or both parties agree to it, and if it can legitimately serve a purpose and successfully execute the elements laid out in its mandate. To this end, note that we are open to a presence that would be only in the territory of Ethiopia or Eritrea, if the host nation agrees to fully cooperate and engage with the mission. -Stress that a resolution should maintain UN involvement by requesting the Secretary General to consult with Ethiopia and Eritrea on how the UN could most effectively support normalizing relations, facilitate implementation of agreements they have entered into (specifically the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the Algiers Agreement),and also the option of UN presence on their territory/territories in the future. Note that with the UN General Assembly initiating in September, the Council should allow the Secretary General sufficient time for consultations--we recommend six months. -Emphasize that termination of UNMEE is without prejudice to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the Algiers Agreements. Stress that the UN Security Council should state this in a new resolution, while also urging Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect their commitments to these Agreements. Note that the EEBC,s demarcation decision or non-compliance by the parties with certain elements is not cause for termination of UNMEE,s mandate--though the parties differ on these matters and may point to the Mission's termination to support their often stated positions, only they as signatories can decide whether and how to implement these Agreements. Underscore that we will continue to urge Ethiopia and Eritrea to maintain their commitments bi-laterally, and ask that they do the same. End discussion elements. -------------- Background -------------- ¶7. (U) UNMEE is a Chapter VI peacekeeping operation first established to monitor compliance with and facilitate implementation of the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities of June 2000, an accord between Ethiopia and Eritrea that ended the 1998-2000 war. This agreement was followed in December 2000 by the Algiers Agreement, in which the parties agreed to several steps to resolve issues that divide them, including the boundary dispute. The Agreement created a demilitarized zone in Eritrea close to its border with Ethiopia, commonly referred to as the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ)--most of UNMEE,s troops have been located there. The accord also established the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission (EEBC) to delimit and demarcate the boundary. The EEBC issued a delimitation decision on April 13, 2002, but was unable to demarcate the boundary due to lack of cooperation by the parties. Eritrea subsequently re-militarized the TSZ, and for over two years Eritrean restrictions on UNMEE troops have hampered their movements and UNMEE,s ability to execute its mandate. ¶8. (U) Beginning in November 2007, Eritrea started refusing UNMEE permission to purchase or import fuel. The critical fuel crisis forced Secretary General Ban to begin &temporary relocation8 of UNMEE from Eritrea in early February 2008. Eritrea subsequently complicated its efforts to temporarily STATE 00079539 003.2 OF 003 relocate to Ethiopia (as originally planned),demanding that UNMEE personnel and equipment depart through the capital city of Asmara or through the port cities of Assab and Massawa, the same points where UNMEE entered the country. Eritrea appeared to be holding UNMEE troops and equipment hostage in an attempt to force the UN Security Council to pressure Ethiopia to accept the demarcation decision by map coordinates announced by the EEBC in November 2006, and made effective by its terms in November 2007 (Ethiopia has rejected the EEBC,s approach as inconsistent with international law. Eritrea has accepted it). ¶9. (U) Eritrea eventually allowed contractors to provide fuel shipments to the Mission, and at present, almost all UNMEE troop-contributing countries, (TCCs,) equipment and personnel have been withdrawn from Eritrean territory. Since temporary relocation began, Belgium, which has &the pen8 on UNMEE in the UN Security Council, has worked closely with the U.S., sharing multiple draft Presidential Statements (PRSTs) and resolutions on the situation concerning Ethiopia and Eritrea. Despite U.S. urging, the UN Security Council never took strong action against Eritrea for its treatment of UNMEE. Resolution 1798 (January 30, 2008) demanded that Eritrea allow UNMEE to obtain fuel, and the PRST of April 30, 2008 noted that &the continuation of Eritrea,s obstructions towards UNMEE has reached a level so as to undermine the basis of the Mission's mandate and compelled UNMEE to temporarily relocate.8 On May 8, 2008, during UN Security Council UNMEE consultations, Belgium circulated a non-paper on the way ahead and next steps on the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. ¶10. (U) On June 10, 2008, the UN Security Council President sent letters to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles and Eritrean President Isaias seeking their views on a UN follow-on presence. In his response, Isaias stated that the EEBC had completed its task, thereby effectively ending UNMEE's mandate and its oversight of the TSZ. Meles stated Ethiopia would "never look at a request for UN engagement lightly," but that options for a UN presence within "the ambit of the Algiers Agreements" could hardly be considered realistic and that any presence must be totally distinct from UNMEE. On July 3, 2008, the UN Security Council President sent a letter to the Secretary General asking him to undertake consultations with Ethiopia and Eritrea in connection with their responses to the establishment of a follow-on UN presence, and to provide his recommendations by July 21, 2008--to date, no recommendations have been made. ¶11. (U) Eritrea has been opposed to a UN follow on presence from the outset. It appears that Ethiopia is not prepared to engage in discussions on a follow-on presence at this point in time, though they remain open to the possibility of future talks. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) informed the Department that the Special Representative of the Secretary General for UNMEE, Azouz Ennifar, was scheduled to meet with Ethiopian Deputy Foreign Minister Tekeda Alemu on July 22, 2008. However, the Department had not received a read-out of the meeting when this cable was drafted. UNMEE,s mandate will expire on July 31. The UNSC has yet to move towards a resolution. ¶12. (U) Minimize considered. RICE