Statement of the Government of Eritrea on Security Council Resolution

The Government of the State of Eritrea reiterates its appreciation of the concerns of the Security Council as indeed this was communicated on 2 February 1999, and wishes to make the following observations on Resolution 1227 of 10 February 1999.

1. Eritrea did not start the war and consequently cannot be held responsible for it. Eritrea reaffirms its commitment not to start war. On the other hand, it must be recognized that it has, and shall exercise, the legitimate right of self-defense in the face of aggression.

2. Eritrea has not conducted any air strikes and has not violated the moratorium on air strikes. However, it reserves the right to retaliate if attacked by air.

3. Eritrea has not committed any crimes against civilians and has not violated, and shall never violate, any human rights. It is therefore a matter of great disappointment that the Council has preferred not to address this glaring reality.

4. No decision has been taken by the Security Council to embargo the sales of arms to States which are a cause of regional instability and insecurity. It is therefore astonishing to note that the Council has taken such an unprecedented step in this case. It must be noted that this will only lead to regional imbalance.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 11 February 1999