UN families told to leave Eritrea

UN families told to leave Eritrea

Eritrean restrictions are hindering its peacekeeping work, says the UNThe United Nations has ordered the families of its personnel in Eritrea to leave the country, as part of an increased security assessment.
The security zone along the Ethiopian border has been made off-limits to all UN staff except peacekeeping troops.
Elsewhere in the country, staff have been told remain in town, and keep in touch with their headquarters.
This comes amid fears of new hostility along the border, where the neighbours went to war from 1998 to 2000.

Click here to see a map of the border
A peace agreement in 2000 led to the demarcation of the border by an independent commission.
However, Ethiopia has not yet withdrawn its forces from the town of Badme, which was awarded to Eritrea.
In the past few months Eritrea has imposed restictions on the activities of the UN peacekeeping force.
Earlier this month Ethiopia and Eritrea reinforced their military positions along their common border, when the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, warned of the possibility of renewed conflict.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4459808.stm