Permanent Mission of Eritrea
To the United Nations U ‫ ار!  اا ى ا الة‬#$%______________________________________________________________________________

Check against delivery

Statementby
H.E. Mr. Araya Desta
Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations
At the 6362nd meeting of the United Nations Security
Councilon
agenda item, “Peace and Security in Africa”

New York, 20 July 20101

Permanent Mission of Eritrea
To the United Nations U ‫ ار!  اا ى ا الة‬#$%______________________________________________________________________________

20 July 2010

Madam President,I wish to congratulate you for assuming the presidency of the United Nations Security
Council for the month of July and I wish to thank you and the members of the Council
for according my delegation the opportunity to share its views on agenda item: Peaceand Security in Africa.
Before I get into the substance of the report, let me take this opportunity also towelcome the report of the Secretary-General for reflecting most of the importantdevelopments in our region and some of the concerns of my country. Since Eritrea has
already submitted its views on the contents of the report of the Secretary-General, I will
limit my intervention to three specific issues: 1) Eritrea-Ethiopia; 2) Djibouti-Eritrea; and3) Somalia. Each issue is distinct from one another, yet they are all tied by history andgeography; it goes without saying that such ties go far beyond the mentioned countries.
Madam President,
The pacific settlement of disputes among nations is one of the core principles on which
the United Nations was founded. In this connection, I wish to commend the SecretaryGeneral for pointing out the need to resolve the Eritrea-Ethiopia border dispute which
was peacefully, legally and technically concluded by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary
Commission. However, the non-implementation of the Commission’s rulings continues
to impede collective and common approaches to some of the serious problems of theregion, not to mention the huge sacrifices it demands on the peoples of the two nations.
The Eritrea-Ethiopia issue is indeed an occupation of sovereign Eritrean territories byEthiopia and it must be dealt according to Article 51 of the UN Charter and otherrelevant provisions of international law. This violation needs the urgent attention of theCouncil and it should not be treated differently. Let me state it in a frank manner, forthe past eight years, the Security Council declined to address Ethiopia’s defiance of the2Permanent Mission of Eritrea
To the United Nations U ‫ ار!  اا ى ا الة‬#$%______________________________________________________________________________
Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission’s “final and binding” delimitation Award of 13
April 2002 and the demarcation decision of November 2007.
Ethiopia’s refusal to honour its obligation and its act of arming, training, hosting andfinancing Eritrean armed elements with the objective to destabilize Eritrea should not
be allowed to continue without the reaction and action from the Security Council. Issuesof peace and security must be addressed in a fair and objective way as the UN Charter
dictates. The Eritrea-Ethiopia issue has been in the agenda of the Security Council forseveral years, since 1998, until the Council decided to end the mandate of UNMEE byresolution 1827 of 30 July 2008.
Madam President,
Recalling that by the same resolution, in paragraph 6, the Council decided to remain
actively seized of the matter, I wish to once again urge the Security Council to discharge
its responsibility in a manner consistent with its mandate under the UN Charter inorder to ensure Ethiopia’s withdrawal of its troops from sovereign Eritrean territories.
Madam President,
Somalia continues to be the most difficult crisis to resolve in the African region. And
this might continue to be the case until the Somalis are allowed to rise to the challengeof the day that requires determination and a shared vision of a united and stable
Somalia. For this to materialize, more emphasis should be given for a political spacethat allows all Somali key actors to engage in meaningful and peaceful discussions.
Eritrea will continue to work with the international community in seeking a sustainable
peace in Somalia. It was in this spirit that Eritrea participated in the Istanbul Conference
on Somalia by accepting the gracious invitation extended to it by the Government ofTurkey and the United Nations in order to end the suffering of the Somalis.
Eritrea believes that the efforts of the international community should be guided bycertain principles:
1. that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Somalia;

3Permanent Mission of Eritrea
To the United Nations U ‫ ار!  اا ى ا الة‬#$%______________________________________________________________________________
2. that the only real prospect for a lasting resolution of the Somali problem lies
in an inclusive political process; and3. that a durable solution for Somalia can only be the outcome of a Somali
owned and Somali driven process.
As demonstrated during the Istanbul Conference, Eritrea shall engage TFG officials andother key actors. Eritrea shall remain to be part of a sustained and constructive effort toachieve peace and stability in Somalia.

On Djibouti, as noted in the report of the Secretary-General, the agreement signed by
the Governments of Eritrea and Djibouti under the leadership of the Emir of Qatar, His
Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, is a significant development. Ever since
the issue of Djibouti-Eritrea was brought to the attention of the Security Council, Eritrea
exercised restraint and opted for such matter to be addressed in a calm and quitemanner preferably at bilateral level or through a third party that is acceptable to bothsides taking into account the sisterly relationship of the two countries and the need toensure peace and security in the sub-region. In this context, Eritrea is pleased by theQatari mediation in order to restore and cultivate good neighbourly relations with
Djibouti on the basis of each other’s full respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Finally, Madam President, notwithstanding resolution 1907 which was imposed on
Eritrea unjustly and selectively by lumping unrelated issues, my delegation shallremain committed to regional peace and security. Eritrea takes issues of peace andsecurity very seriously and it shall not be discouraged or deterred from participating inmeaningful and fruitful discussions that would concretely contribute to sustainable
peace in its region.
In light of the steps taken by Eritrea together with Djibouti under the auspices of theQatari diplomatic efforts and Eritrea’s firm commitment towards the peace efforts inSomalia, my delegation appeals to the Security Council to lift the sanctions regime
imposed on Eritrea.

I thank you, Madam President.
4Permanent Mission of Eritrea
To the United Nations U ‫ ار!  اا ى ا الة‬#$%______________________________________________________________________________

5