U.N. embargo on Ethiopia, Eritrea

UNITED NATIONS, MAY 18. The Security Council voted unanimously to impose an arms embargo on Ethiopia and Eritrea which would bar sale and supply of weapons and related equipment as also technical and military assistance to the two warring African neighbours until they agree to a peace accord and stop fighting along their common border war.

The embargo, which takes effect immediately, would lapse after one year but could be renewed if no progress had been made towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute. The vote came late yesterday after the United States and Britain dropped their demand that the embargo should be lifted only after a final settlement was reached and agreed to Russian and French suggestion for a time limit. If no peace settlement is reached within one year, the Council will vote afresh to extend the embargo.

After several hours of debate, Council members resolved differences over the time limit between the U.S. and Britain on the one side and Russia and France on the other. The U.S., backed by Britain, initially wanted a total arms embargo on both countries, which would only be lifted when a final peace agreement had been signed. Russia, a major arms supplier to both countries, initially opposed an arms embargo. The Russians dropped their objection to an arms embargo on Tuesday and joined France and other countries in demanding a time limit.

This is first time that the Council has put a time limit on an embargo, or ``sunset clause'' as it is called. But diplomats say all future sanctions resolutions will have the clause. The insistence by Russia and France was in the light of indefinite sanctions imposed on Iraq after Baghdad's attack on Kuwait. The embargo cannot be lifted unless the U.S. and Britain, who have a veto, agree. But the ``sunset clause'' does allow the sanctions to be lifted unless all the five permament members agree to continue them.

The latest round of fighting started last week after the peace talks failed with Eritrea insisting that both sides first agree to a ceasefire and then work out the finer details of the peace accord. But Ethiopia wanted the peace accord to be finalised before a ceasefire agreement. When the two sides resumed their war on Friday last, the Council asked them to stop hostilities within 72 hours and promised to act if they failed to pay heed to its warnings. - PTI

Reuters reports from the Mereb-Setit front (Eritrea):

More than 200,000 Eritreans are fleeing a strategic area in the west of the country captured by Ethiopian troops, a senior Eritrean Government official said today.

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