Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki said today the UN Security Council had lost credibility by not forcing Ethiopia to withdraw from a border town as required by a peace deal ending the African neighbors' two-year war.
The council's "unwillingness to enforce the rule of law and to ensure respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a UN member state has compromised its credibility as well as its legal and moral authority," Isaias said in a letter dated last Friday and circulated at the world body today.
The Security Council and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan have pressured Isaias to reverse an October 5th ban on UN helicopter flights over its territory, a step the Eritrean leader had previously declined to explain.
The ban sparked concerns Eritrea might be concealing troop movements in preparation for resuming fighting with Ethiopia. Grounding the flights reduced the ability of the 3,300-strong peacekeeping mission to monitor Eritrean military movements and also to resupply its troops and conduct emergency medical evacuations. There have also been restrictions on UN ground patrols.