US embassy cable - 05ADDISABABA3930

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 003930 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF DAS YAMAMOTO, AF/E, AND AF/PD 
ROME, PARIS, LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, KPKO, ER, ET, EE BORDER 
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN MILITARY OCCUPIES FORMER UNMEE OUTPOST 
IN TEMPORARY SECURITY ZONE 
 
REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 3911 
     B. ADDIS ABABA 3769 
     C. ADDIS ABABA 3747 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES VICKI HUDDLESTON.  REASON: 1.4 (B), (D 
). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  United Nations officials will publicly 
announce today that Ethiopia has violated the 2000 cessation 
of hostilities agreement, by occupying a strategic former 
UNMEE observation post within the Temporary Security Zone 
that provides access to Assab.  UNMEE military observers 
abandoned the post in October, when Eritrean restrictions on 
UNMEE's freedom of movement rendered manning such posts 
untenable.  Eritrea is aware of the Ethiopian move.  UNMEE 
has formally protested Ethiopia's action, but has received no 
response from the Ethiopian government.  The presence of 
Ethiopian troops in Eritrean territory is likely to 
complicate efforts to address the current stalemate. 
However, according to UNMEE's Chief Military Liaison Officer, 
it is highly likely that Eritrea has occupied a number of 
posts evacuated by UNMEE, although he cannot verify this, due 
to the GSE's limitations on UNMEE activities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) Charge, DATT, and deputy P/E chief met on November 22 
with UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Deputy 
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) 
Amb. Azouz Ennifar and Chief Military Liaison Officer Colonel 
Jarmo Helenius (strictly protect).  According to the UNMEE 
officials, UNMEE military observers noted on November 18 that 
an Ethiopian infantry platoon was occupying "Point 885", one 
of 18 sites in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) vacated by 
UNMEE following Eritrea's October 4 ban on UNMEE flight 
operations (ref C).  Previously, Indian troops from UNMEE had 
manned Point 885, located east of Bure, at approximately 42 
degrees east, in the TSZ's eastern sector.  While the 
Temporary Security Zone lies entirely within Eritrea, Ennifar 
said both Ethiopia and Eritrea had previously appeared to 
agree that Point 885 was Ethiopian territory.  He added that 
Ethiopian troops had said they would continue to occupy the 
former UNMEE post until UNMEE returns.  Col. Helenius said 
that Ethiopian claims that they took control of this 
strategic site to prevent an attack are credible.  Col. 
Helenius also said that Eritrea had likely occupied posts 
evacuated by UNMEE as well, but that UNMEE could not verify 
this. 
 
3. (C) Asmara-based UNMEE DSRSG Joel Adechi has informed the 
Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) of the Ethiopian 
entry into the TSZ, Ennifar said, but the GSE responded that 
it had known of the Ethiopian move for four days, and was 
disappointed that UNMEE had not reported the event earlier. 
GSE officials also said that perhaps they would not attend 
the next meeting of the Military Coordination Commission, 
scheduled for November 24 in Nairobi.  (NOTE: According to 
Major General Yohannes Gebremeskel, Head of the Intelligence 
Main Department, the Eritreans would likely attend the 
meeting.  MG Yohannes will lead the Ethiopian delegation. 
END NOTE.)  According to Ennifar, the Government of Ethiopia 
has made no formal acknowledgement of its entry into the TSZ, 
nor has the GOE responded to formal protests from UNMEE to 
both Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu 
(on November 19) and to Ethiopia's Ministry of Defense (on 
November 21).  Ennifar noted that SRSG Legwaila Joseph 
Legwaila was on medical leave for one month, to undergo 
surgery in New York. 
 
4. (C) Amb. Ennifar and Col. Helenius pointed out that there 
is a heavy presence of Eritrean troops in the TSZ, some of 
whom, when confronted by UNMEE, admit that they are military, 
although they wear militia uniforms. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
U.N. TO DENOUNCE VIOLATION OF CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
5. (C) Characterizing the Ethiopian entry into the TSZ as a 
"serious violation" of the June 2000 cease-fire agreement, 
Amb. Ennifar said that UN officials would publicly announce 
the Ethiopian move at the UN Spokesman's noon press briefing 
today, in New York. 
 
6. (C) UNMEE had intentionally established an observation 
post at Point 885 due to the site's strategic value, Col. 
Helenius said, explaining that it commanded a ridge that 
looked over the surrounding area.  Prior to vacating the 
post, UNMEE had dismantled and removed any infrastructure, he 
said.  Col. Helenius noted that the Ethiopian platoon had 
communications equipment but no heavy weapons; Ethiopia's 
claim that its primary purpose was deterrence against an 
Eritrean attack was "credible," he said.  Col. Helenius 
underscored that no violent actions against UNMEE personnel 
had occurred, and that there was "no direct threat."  Both 
sides had publicly disavowed a first strike, but were taking 
actions to "humiliate" the United Nations and therefore push 
the international community to address the stalemate, 
Helenius commented. 
 
7. (C) DSRSG Ennifar was concerned with Charge's observation 
that it seemed that the "reality on the ground" did not match 
recent public statements disavowing hostile intent made by 
Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki, and Ethiopian Prime 
Minister Meles Zenawi's view of a diminished threat from 
Eritrea given Ethiopia's strong hand.  Ennifar expressed 
concern that while Eritrea did not acknowledge that it has 
troops within the Temporary Security Zone, the number of 
Eritrean "militia" within the TSZ was increasing, many of 
whom were likely regular Eritrean troops.  Col. Helenius 
acknowledged that the number of Eritrean troops was unknown 
in areas where the GSE was denying UNMEE access, and that 
Eritrean troops were likely occupying former UNMEE posts as 
well. 
 
8. (C) Large concentrations of Ethiopian troops are located 
near the border in the Badme-Sitona Triangle area (near the 
western sector of the TSZ) and along the Addis Ababa-Asmara 
axis (near the central sector of the TSZ), Col. Helenius 
said. DATT noted that during his recent visit to Adigrat 
(septel), near the TSZ's central sector, no large troop 
formations were visible on the Ethiopian side of the border, 
but that Ethiopian military commanders declared that the bulk 
of Ethiopian troops were situated just 20-30 kilometers south 
of the TSZ.  Col. Helenius observed that Ethiopia's largest 
mechanized division was located near the central sector. 
 
9. (SBU) Troop-contributing countries, particularly India, 
warned at their most recent meeting in New York, that they 
may withdraw peace-keepers from UNMEE, Amb. Ennifar said. 
Ennifar confirmed recent press reports that UN security 
officials had raised the threat level facing UNMEE staff in 
Eritrea, but said the withdrawal of UNMEE dependents had 
begun earlier as UNMEE was supposed to be an unaccompanied 
mission. 
 
10. (C) COMMENT: Ethiopia's decision to take over an 
observation post vacated by UNMEE is consistent with its 
desire to prevent an attack from Eritrea.  However, it is a 
proven violation, and, as such, raises serious issues.  Prime 
Minister Meles told me that Ethiopia would not/not occupy the 
TSZ as Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin had stated to Japanese 
 
SIPDIS 
PermRep to the UN Amb. Oshima (ref B).  Meles said that 
Eritrea and Ethiopia  -- as long as neither wish to go to war 
-- could together work out security arrangements in the TSZ. 
Of course, this makes the possibility of mistakes or 
miscalculations more likely.  END COMMENT. 
HUDDLESTON