VZCZCXRO4733
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #9539/01 2060520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 240111Z JUL 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 1947-1949
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE 1107-1109
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE 7205-7207
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 0593-0595
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 8759-5761
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 3058-3060
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RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE 2852-2854
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0145-0147
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RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 1225-1227
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2580-2582
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 5411-5413
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 7475-7477

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