Addis Ababa/New York: The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has expressed shock over the decision of the Ethiopian government to declare seven United Nations officials, including senior United Nations humanitarian officials, as persona non grata, accusing them of “meddling in internal affairs” of the country, and asking them on September 30, 2021, to leave the country within 72 hours.
The Ethiopian government’s move came a couple of days after U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths’ statement that a nearly three-month-long blockade has limited aid shipments to 10% of what is needed in the conflict-ridden northern Tigray region of the country. He had claimed that hundreds of thousands of people there were probably experiencing famine.
The Ethiopia development has come as an embarrassment to the Secretary General who actually was himself pursuing his “quiet, patient diplomacy” with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, to get humanitarian access in the country ravaged by civil war.
Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, though said, “The work of the Secretary‑General continues. As he said, he’s shocked by the news today. The humanitarian work by the UN is impartial. It’s important. It needs to continue. We need and we hope to be able to continue this important work over there.”
Guterres himself in a statement said that all United Nations humanitarian operations are guided by the core principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. “In Ethiopia, the United Nations is delivering life‑saving aid – including food, medicine, water and sanitation supplies – to people in desperate need. I have full confidence in the United Nations staff who are in Ethiopia doing this work,” he stated. He further affirmed that the United Nations was committed to helping Ethiopian people who rely on humanitarian assistance.
“We are now engaging with the Government of Ethiopia in the expectation that the concerned United Nations staff will be allowed to continue their important work,” he said.
On the accusation levelled against the UN staff by the Ethiopian Foreign Office that they were expelled for meddling with the internal affairs of the country, the Secretary-General’s office refused to make any comment on this.
Also read: Inside Ethiopia: Humanitarian access in Tigray improves but situation there remains volatile
Tremblay though said, “… we hear talks of people being in famine‑like conditions. So, the situation is really dire, and I just want to stress the importance for the people of Ethiopia, for the people affected by the conflict, of ensuring that life‑saving humanitarian assistance reaches them”.
When asked about the kind of contacts that the Secretary‑General has had and whether he himself spoke to the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Tremblay could only say, “So, I can tell you that contacts are being had at various levels”.
– global bihari bureau
