Ethiopia calls on UN member states to curb out-of-the-radar military deployment in Africa

Addis Ababa, December 7, 2021 (FBC) – State Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Redwan Hussein said the sacrifices Ethiopian peacekeeping troops pay for the peace of Africa is a sacrifice Ethiopia pays for its own peace.

The State Minister said this in a pre-recorded video speech today Tuesday delivered to the United Nations peacekeeping ministerial meeting hosted in Seoul, South Korea.

In his speech, Ambassador Redwan raised two crucial points that concern Ethiopia with regard to the country’s role in peacekeeping missions.

He requested the United Nations to lift a newly introduced requirement that applied to Ethiopia’s peacekeeping deployment which is based on a petition of one member state in violation of the United Nations Charter and the rules and working methods of the Organization. 

He also called on member states to curb the trend of informal and out-of-the-radar military deployment, especially in Africa, for it compromises the lives of peacekeeping personnel, tarnishes the reputation of peacekeeping missions, and invites hostility from host communities.

The State Minister finally stressed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthen its peacekeeping missions and called on the global community to support peacekeeping missions with the necessary finance and political backing.

The two-day meeting will highlight “medical capacity building and technology in peacekeeping as important cross-cutting issues”.

Prior to the meeting in Seoul, stakeholders had held various preparatory meetings regarding peacekeeping missions where Ethiopia had also co-hosted a meeting on the topic of “partnership for training and capacity building” with Indonesia and Japan.

More than 100 Member States and intergovernmental organizations are meeting to give political support and pledge resources to improve peacekeeping operations.