UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council late Tuesday warned Ethiopia and Eritrea against reigniting their border war and urged Eritrea to immediately reverse its ban on all helicopter flights by U.N. peacekeepers.In a tough statement approved by all 15 council members and read at a formal meeting, the council called on both countries "to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat of use of force against each other."
| Boy, that's a tough statement. |
Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, head of the U.N. mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, warned less than two weeks ago that the border dispute could lead to a new war, and he urged the Security Council and African Union to take urgent steps toward a resolution.
U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno it was very difficult to tell how serious the threat of renewed conflict is. "What I can say is if we are not able to move around effectively with our helicopters we will have much less visibility on what's going on the ground, which can in turn create suspicions and more instability," Guehenno said.
| Get ready for another tough statement. |