New York, 30 January: The Security Council voted today for a six-month extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).
The Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the two sides to "show maximum restraint and refrain from any threat or use of force against each other, avoid provocative military activities and put an end to the exchange of hostile statements."
The Council emphasized that "Eritrea and Ethiopia bear the primary responsibility for achieving a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the border dispute and normalizing their relations."
Today's resolution called on Eritrea to withdraw all troops and heavy military equipment from the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) immediately and urged Ethiopia to decrease its military forces in areas adjacent to the TSZ.
The Council also expressed its concern over critical fuel levels that are impeding UNMEE's work. It demanded that the Eritrean Government "resumes immediately fuel shipments to UNMEE or allows UNMEE to import fuel without restrictions."