The UN Security Council voted unanimously Monday to send 100 military observers to help monitor the deal ending a two-year border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea and prepare for a full-fledged UN peacekeeping operation, reported The Associated Press.
"This is a significant sign of confidence in the cessation of hostilities there," US deputy ambassador Nancy Soderberg said after the 15-0 vote.
"We're encouraged that things are moving in the right direction."
The council is waiting for Secretary-General Kofi Annan to make a recommendation on the size of the UN force, which will be deployed in a buffer zone inside Eritrea along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) contested frontier until the border is demarcated, said the agency.
Western diplomats said Monday they expect the UN force to have between 2,000 and 4,000 peacekeepers, higher than the 1,500 initially envisaged, because a reconnaissance team that visited the area has determined that troops need to be deployed in three large sectors.
The team told representatives from over 60 countries that expressed an interest in contributing troops that about 4,200 military observers and infantry soldiers would be needed, UN officials said.
The Security Council resolution "stresses the importance of the rapid delimitation and demarcation" of the border, added the agency - Albawaba.com
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