From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun May 23 2010 - 20:24:07 EDT
UN
<http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2010/05/22/un-france-security-council-peace-an
d-security-in-horn-africa> France – Security Council: Peace and security in
Horn Africa
23 May 2010 – Security Council – Peace and security in Africa – the
situation in the Horn of Africa: Statement by Mr. Gérard Araud, permanent
representative of France to the United Nations
(UN translation)
I naturally welcome the presence of the President of the Republic of
Djibouti, Mr. Ismail Omar Guelleh. The French delegation has taken note with
much interest of his analysis, while the situation in the Horn of Africa
remains very unstable.
Fighting has stopped in Ras Doumeira and Doumeira
<http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2010/05/22/un-france-security-council-peace-an
d-security-in-horn-africa> Island, but almost two years after Eritrea’s
attack on Djibouti positions, not only is the conflict still unresolved, but
the Djibouti authorities have no news of the soldiers captured by Eritrea.
On 12 June 2008, the Security Council condemned Eritrea’s military actions
and asked the two parties to withdraw their forces to the positions of the
status quo ante. While Djibouti did this immediately, Eritrea still refuses
to do so, in spite of the adoption of resolution 1862 (2009) on January 2009
and then, under Chapter VII of the
<http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2010/05/22/un-france-security-council-peace-an
d-security-in-horn-africa> Charter, of resolution 1907 (2009) last December.
To date, Asmara has rejected any international mission to the area.
The Council thus raised the pressure on Eritrea, which was hit with an arms
embargo and individual sanctions. The Secretary-General is ready to appoint
experts to the Monitoring Group working on sanctions for Somalia and
Eritrea. We eagerly await their recommendations in the sanctions Committee,
as well as the report on the implementation of resolution 1907 (2009) that
the Secretary-General will present to the Council in June.
It is urgent that the situation on the ground be settled peacefully and,
beyond that, that the two countries resolve their border disputes in a
sustainable and peaceful way.
The Eritrean authorities have sent a series of positive signals in the past
few weeks, such as their reception of the Chairman of the sanctions
Committee, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller. It is essential that Eritrea
set no preconditions to settling its problem with Djibouti and that it moves
from words to deeds. France encourages all efforts towards dialogue and
mediation pursuant to the Security Council’s resolutions, which require,
inter alia, the return of Eritrean forces to the status quo ante.
I also thank President Guelleh for the information he has given to the
Council on the situation in Somalia. While the Istanbul Conference will open
in a few days, the Somali Government must come together, under the authority
of President Sharif, and deepen the political dialogue.
Like the Ambassador of Uganda, I should like here to pay a tribute to
President Guelleh for Djibouti’s essential role in seeking a solution to the
Somali crisis. The political agreement that is the key to the reconciliation
process was negotiated in Djibouti. It is on Djiboutian territory that the
Djibouti and French forces have begun to train Somali soldiers. Djibouti has
thus facilitated the training operation for 2,000 soldiers that the European
Union is launching this month, in close cooperation with the African Union
Mission in Somalia. Beyond the political events of the last few days, the
most important thing is that the Transitional Federal Government continues
to strengthen itself militarily so as to be able to provide the Somali
people with the basic services they need. Finally, as we all know, Djibouti
is playing a decisive role in fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia.
France hopes that the Council will continue to closely follow this situation
and would like to thank the Special Representative Ould Abdallah for his
efforts.
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