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| Africa Horn | |
| UN demands Eritrea pullback from Dijbouti border | |
| 2009-01-15 | |
In June, the Security Council condemned Eritrea for launching an attack against the tiny port nation of Djibouti, a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism, which the U.S. said left 44 Djiboutian soldiers dead and many more missing. The council had called for a cease-fire and urged the two countries to withdraw their forces from the border. Djibouti did, but Eritrea did not. The council's resolution Wednesday expressed "deep concern" that Eritrea has not withdrawn its forces and has refused to engage in dialogue with Djibouti or accept the offers of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the African Union and others to help resolve the dispute. The council demanded that Eritrea "comply immediately" with its order to pull back its troops and start talking to resolve the conflict. It gave Eritrea five weeks to take action. Uncertainty over the Djibouti-Eritrea border also led to hostilities twice in the 1990s. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war, and their border is also in dispute. In October, Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh warned the council that Eritrea's occupation of Djibouti's territory could lead to war again. He urged the council "to do everything possible" to persuade Eritrea to leave the territory it has occupied since March. Eritrea had accused the United States of instigating the conflict. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Eritrea used to be staunch American ally, and was single handedly containing OBL when he was hiding in Sudan and trying to export his Jihad to the horn of Africa before 9/11. Here is what Rumsfield has to say praising them. This is of course before the Ethio-Eritrea border dispute, and the dimwit bush admin decided with all their wisdom and against international border ruling that favored Eritrea, decided to take Ethiopia's side, as they wanted to use them as proxy in Somalia. Not to mention using American tax payers money to buy massive amount of arms from North Korea, breaking US/UN sanctions This is what rightly is pissing Eritrea. Now the same thing is happening in Djibouti, where according the old colonial treaty, the disputed land is Eritrean, but then again American/ French interest is flying against international law, but what is international law when UNSC members have their own interests. |
| Posted by: Dan 2009-01-15 23:46 |
| #2 Suddenly, the big pullback of Ethiopian troops from Somalia makes sense : Ethiopia lost its only functioning sea port when Eritrea broke off, and now all heavy commerce comes through the ports in Djibouti. Any threat to Djibouti leaves Ethiopia as a totally landlocked country, and Djibouti is the only one of Ethiopia's neighbors that is friendly. Expect LOTS of Ethiopian "volunteers" showing up in Djibouti WITH equipment,if Eritrea moves on Djibouti. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2009-01-15 18:51 |
| #1 Time for the US to help out Djibouti, which has helped the US immensely by allowing us to set up a headquarters there. I'd suggest bombing Eritrean troops along the Djibouti border back to the early "still in the trees, swinging by their tails" era. You know, just as a courtesy call... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-01-15 13:26 |
