New York  - The UN Security Council on Wednesday faulted the Eritrean government for rejecting a UN team that sought to investigate border clashes between it and Djibouti.

The fighting in June resulted in the deaths of several soldiers from Djibouti. Djibouti said Eritrea invaded its border and complained to the council, which dispatched the team to the area to investigate.

"The members of the council welcomed the cooperation of the Djibouti authorities and regretted that the mission could not go to Eritrea," the council president, Ambassador Michel Kafando of Burkina Faso, said following a meeting.

"Council members expressed their concern regarding the tension and militarization on the contentious border zone that may lead to open clashes," Kafando said.

Eritrea had been at odds with the UN in the past two years over its border dispute with Ethiopia. The UN decided earlier this year to pull out its peacekeeping operation along the Eritrea-Ethiopia border after Eritrea clamped down UN helicopter flights and cut down supplies of petroleum to UN vehicles. (dpa)