By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 25 - UN peacekeepers in Eritrea have been without any fuel deliveries since December 1. Friday in front of the Security Council chamber, UN envoy Azouz Ennifar told reporters that unless the situation changes, a decision to leave the country would have to be made in February. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has suggested to the Council that the UNMEE mission should only be extended for a month. The goal of this short extension would be to send Eritrea a message.

But what message? Others on the Council objected, saying that this was just what Eritrea wanted. These members suggested the standard six-month extension, combined with some other as-yet-undecided upon messaging. Inner City Press asked Mr. Ennifar if he thought that the UN's perceived acquiescence in Ethiopia's foray into Somalia has led Eritrea to be even more suspicious of all things UN. "I don't think I want to answer that question," Ennifar said.

It is often said that the UN only operates with the consent of host governments. UNMEE is right at the limit. Already, Eritrea has specified nationalities of peacekeepers it will not accept, and does not allow night flights. Both are conditions that, when raised by Sudan, are widely condemned in the media and, for example, by the UN's incoming Messenger of Peace. But this has been going on in Eritrea for some time. In part it is because supposedly binding decisions about land and demarcation have not been implemented. Inner City Press asked Ennifar for the UN's or the mission's position on so-called virtual demarcation. "I don't think the UN or the mission has to have a position," Ennifar said. Maybe that's the problem.

What other diplomatic channels are being tried, to solve these problems, Inner City Press asked. Ennifar answered rhetorically, "What more can we do than call on the Security Council itself?" But how is that working? The Council is now considering the six or one month extension of the mandate. The  underlying problems, it seems, are never on the table. And so it goes.

Source: Inner City Press