Addis Ababa, December 21, 2021 (FBC) – State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Redwan Hussein briefed ambassadors stationed in Addis Ababa about the current situation in Ethiopia.
His briefing covered the recent UNHRC special session on Ethiopia, the conflict in the northern part of the country, what is next after freeing occupied areas and the proposed all-inclusive dialogue between political elites and the public.
Regarding the convening of a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council and the establishment of an international commission of experts on Ethiopia, Ambassador Redwan said it is unacceptable, and Ethiopia will not cooperate with the setup mechanism.
The decision undermines the principle of subsidiarity since Ethiopia is cooperating with relevant human rights mechanisms, besides having an effective human rights mechanism in the country, he said.
He said the decision unduly politicizes the Council; disregard Ethiopia’s commitment to take measures according to the recommendations put forward by the joint OHCHR-EHRC findings.
It would have been logical had the Council decided to launch a joint UN-EHRC investigation on human rights abuses perpetrated by the TPLF in the Amhara and Afar regions, he added.
Ambassador Redwan also spoke in detail about the humanitarian aid process in northern Ethiopia, including the Tigray region.
He said that the government did everything to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Tigray but the TPLF’s intransigence and the international community’s reluctance to condemn its destructive acts dragged the humanitarian aid supply process.
The State Minister highlighted how the TPLF’s failure to reciprocate the Government’s declaration of the Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire last June and the international community’s reluctance to appreciate it has exacerbated all the problems that ensued thereafter.
Such foot-dragging, he said, had emboldened the TPLF to invade adjacent regions, massacre many, destroy infrastructure, and desecrate religious institutions, and gang rape women instigating public anger to put a strain on the humanitarian supply routes to Tigray.
The continued silence of the international community over the more than 1010 hijacked aid trucks by the group should not be taken lightly since it has contributed a lot in limiting humanitarian aid reaches, he said.
Speaking on the latest battlefield gains, Ambassador Redwan said the TPLF is on the back foot following decisive blows to its soldiers, contrary to its misleading narrative of withdrawal of its troops from occupied areas out of its commitment to peace.
However, he said, the government does not have an intention to pursue an all-out military operation in Tigray in chasing the terrorist group in every villages and towns but it will make sure that the Tplf will not be able to wage an attack anymore.
The government of Ethiopia also maintains its rights to ensure the territorial integrity of the country and it will not foreclose its prerogative rights to station the federal groups in all parts of the country, including Tigray, he added.
On ensuring lasting peace in Ethiopia, he detailed the proposed plans to have an all-inclusive dialogue with political elites and the public.
He said almost all contentious matters would be on the table during the dialogue, including fundamental national issues and Constitutional amendments. The ambassadors forwarded questions and comments, and the state minister has addressed them.