Security Council welcomes agreement between Eritrea and Djibouti to end border dispute

Commending the agreement reached by Eritrea and Djibouti to peacefully resolve their two-year border dispute, the Security Council today called on the two countries to engage fully in the mediation process to ensure they can strike a final deal.

Ambassador Claude Heller of Mexico, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, read out a press statement in which the 15-member body also urged the Horn of Africa nations to refrain from threats and the use of force and to abide by commitments they made to each other under the agreement.

“The members of the Security Council attach great importance to the resolution of the border dispute and to the normalization of the relations between the two countries for the overall stability and security in the region,” the press statement noted.

Last Sunday the leaders of Eritrea and Djibouti signed a pact – reached under the auspices of Qatar and its Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani – in which they agreed to pursue a negotiated settlement to their dispute.

The deal ends the conflict that erupted in early 2008 when, after weeks of tensions and military build-up, the two countries’ armed forces clashed over an un-demarcated area in the Red Sea known as Doumeira, killing 35 people and leaving dozens of others wounded.

Earlier this week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement through his spokesperson in which he also welcomed the deal and said he believes it will “contribute to long-term peace and stability” in the region.