ASMARA, January 25 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed to extend the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMEE) across the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea for another six months.

The UN mission monitoring the cease-fire that ended the border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2000 should be extended for another six months as the stalemate in the peace process shows no sign of ending, Ban said in his latest report on the mission's operations.

According to the report, the continuing impasse has the potential to not only lead to renewed hostilities between the two nations, but to destabilize the wider region, especially given the recent developments in neighboring Somalia.

Ban also warned that Ethiopia and Eritrea both need to do much more than settle their border issue if they are to establish sustainable peace and reconciliation.

"The two governments need to take the political decision to put the conflict behind them, for the sake of their own people, and move forward in a number of other areas that would help them to normalize relations," he said.

Source: xinhuanet