S/PV.5317 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council condemns the decision of the Government of Eritrea to request some members of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to leave the country within 10 days, effective as of 6 December 2005, which is inconsistent with the obligations of the Government of Eritrea to respect the exclusively international nature of the peacekeeping operation. In this regard, the Security Council unequivocally demands that Eritrea immediately reverse its decision without preconditions. “The Security Council recalls that by resolution 1640 (2005), it demanded that the Government of Eritrea reverse all restrictions imposed on the operations of UNMEE. “The Security Council will be consulting on how to respond to this completely unacceptable action by Eritrea.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2005/59. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.