ERITREAN PERMREP: WHAT FUEL PROBLEM?

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000167

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

AF AND IO FOR FRONT OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPAL ET ER MOPS
SUBJECT: ERITREAN PERMREP: WHAT FUEL PROBLEM?

REF: ASMARA 00086

Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: USUN D/POL Counselor met with Eritrean
PermRep Desta February 21 in advance of Security Council
session consultations on UNMEE to discuss Eritrea's rationale
for blocking UNMEE's access to fuel (UNSC session reported
septel). Desta described the fuel crisis as a technical
issue and accused the Secretariat and the Security Council of
allowing Ethiopia to distract them from the issue of border
demarcation. USUN D/POL Counselor replied that Eritrea's
blockade of UNMEE and refusal to engage on the issue had made
discussion of broader issues, including border demarcation,
impossible. Desta mentioned that the Eritrean Permanent
Mission was facilitating the travel of a high-level UN
official to Asmara to discuss the fuel issue, but did not
provide any further information. END SUMMARY.

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Desta: Fuel issue
Is Technical
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2. (C) Eritrean PermRep Araya Desta told D/POL Counselor and
Poloff on February 21 that the Security Council was
inexplicably focusing on a fuel shortage instead of defending
the "rule of law," i.e. the 2002 decision of the Ethiopia
Eritrea Border Commission (EEBC). Desta argued that the
fundamental issue is border demarcation and the withdrawal of
the Ethiopian forces from the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ).
Rather than pushing for demarcation, the UNSC, the U.S. and
the UN Secretariat had focused, he said, on the "technical
issue" of fuel supplies to UNMEE. USUN D/POL Counselor
replied that Eritrea's decision to prevent UNMEE from
obtaining fuel had effectively changed the focus of the
international community from a substantive discussion of the
border and normalization of Ethiopia-Eritrean relations to
the fuel crisis and the unacceptable situation this created
for UNMEE. If the issue was indeed technical from Eritrea's
perspective, the Government of Eritrea should work on
resolving it immediately with the relevant UN officials.


3. (C) Desta replied with a list of accusations against the
UN and UNMEE. He complained that the UN technical assessment
team, which was tasked with resolving the fuel crisis with
the Eritreans, chose to visit Addis Ababa before Asmara -
"Why did they go to Addis first? To get their instructions
from Prime Minister Meles?" (NOTE: Subsequently, Desta
mentioned that the Eritrean Permanent Mission was
facilitating the travel of a high-level UN official to Asmara
to discuss the fuel issue. He did not provide any further
information. END NOTE.) Likewise, Eritrea had refused to
allow UNMEE to import fuel from UNMIS supply lines because he
claimed UN peacekeepers were involved in the black market,
people trafficking and other illegal activities.

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Eritrea Not Interested in
UNMEE Weapons or Equipment
--------------


4. (C) Desta complained that UNMEE was not consulting
properly with Eritrean authorities on efforts to consolidate
the UN forces in Asmara and Assab. D/POL Counselor responded
that U.S. and other concerned countries wanted Eritrea, at a
minimum, to allow the forces to withdraw in a safe and
dignified fashion with their equipment (reftel). Desta
protested that UNMEE's decision to withdraw was unwarranted,
but said Eritrea had no plans to seize UNMEE's equipment or
weaponry. He would not commit Eritrea to facilitating the
redeployment of UNMEE troops, reiterating only that the
withdrawal was an irrational response to an Eritrean-wide
shortage. He claimed fuel would be replenished if UNMEE
would only return to work.

KHALILZAD