The Time of Reckoning

The following note is a brief recap of where we are as of April 22, 2010.

“United Nations Security Council Resolution 1907, adopted on December 23, 2009, imposed an arms embargo on Eritrea, travel bans on its leaders, and froze the assets of some of the country's political and military officials as punishment for aiding anti-government rebels in Somalia and refusing to withdraw troops from its disputed border with Djibouti, following a conflict in 2008.” Source: UNSC Resolution 1907

The UNSC Resolution 1907 Paragraph 20 “calls upon all Member States to report to the Security Council within 120 days of the adoption of this resolution on steps they have taken to implement the measures outlined in paragraphs 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13 of the resolution. The reports of Member States are expected to be submitted by 23 April 2010.” Source: UNSC April 2010 Forecast

As of April 22, 2010,  I believe the European Union, Switzerland, Australia and Japan have issued their plans of the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1907. It is expected that by April 23, 2010 all member states will present their plans of the implementation of the resolution 1907 in their respective jurisdictions. This is a legal requirement.

How about the Eritrean regime, will it buckle and shamefacedly comply with all the requirements of the UNSC Resolution 1907, despite all its bravados and boastings? Will the Eritrean regime present its plan of complying with the UNSC Resolution 1907? If not,  then the clock starts ticking for the UNSC to go up to the extent of the use of military force to compel the Eritrean regime to abide by its orders since the resolution was passed under Chapter VII of the United Nations charters.

The Eritrean regime has been slandering, bad mouthing and accusing the USA for allegedly instigating the UNSC sanctions against Eritrea. In essence, the Eritrean regime has implied that all members of the UNSC including Russia and China toe the line of the USA, at least when it comes to the case of Eritrea. In addition, the Eritrean president accused the USA for setting off the Eritrean-Ethiopian border war and for all intents and purposes has branded the USA as an archenemy of Eritrea.

The question is how will the USA take such accusations? Will it ignore all the tantrums and stick to what the UNSC sanctions on the Eritrean regime call upon or will the USA go beyond what the minimum requirements stipulate when it issues its implementation plan of the UNSC Resolution 1907?

The time of reckoning has approached. It is April 23, 2010.