SG/SM/10198
AFR/1279
3 November 2005
Secretary-General Concerned by Ethiopia, Eritrea Troop Movements, Urges Restraint, Steps to Defuse Escalating Tension
NEW YORK, 2 November (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General is extremely concerned about reports received from the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) concerning movements of military personnel on both sides of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), as well as irregular activities inside the Zone. Reported troop movements involve small and large military and paramilitary formations, and movement of armour, as well as aerial defence assets. The Secretary-General strongly urges the parties to exercise maximum restraint and to put an immediate halt to any actions that may be misinterpreted by the other side or jeopardize the security arrangements which they agreed to in the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities of 18 June 2000.
The Secretary-General further urges the Security Council and individual Member States to take decisive steps to defuse the escalating tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and stands ready to assist in this regard.
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