UN Security Council condemns Eritrea's attack on Djibouti
13/6/2008 17:27
The UN Security Council yesterday condemned Eritrea's military action
against Djibouti earlier in the week along the border between the two Horn of
Africa nations.
In an unanimous statement, the 15-member body called on both
parties to commit to a ceasefire and urged Eritrea in particular to show maximum
restraint and withdraw its forces from the area.
Read by US Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad, the council president for the month, the statement expressed the
council's strong concern about the serious incidents that occurred Tuesday along
the frontier between Djibouti and Eritrea, which left at least nine people dead
and dozens wounded in and around Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island.
The
council urged both nations to cooperate and engage in diplomatic efforts to
resolve the matter peacefully and in a manner consistent with international
law.
Calling on the parties, particularly Eritrea, to engage fully in efforts
to resolve the crisis, the UN body welcomed the efforts of the African Union,
the Arab League and other states that had offered assistance to defuse the
situation.
The council also urged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to
"urgently use his good offices and reach out to both parties," as appropriate
and, in coordination with regional efforts, to speed up bilateral discussion on
arrangements to decrease military presence along the border and develop
confidence-building measures.
Xinhua
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