The reaction from many in Ethiopia and abroad seems to confirm with Ethiopian government stand on the latest decision from UN Human Rights
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The TPLF and its supporters’, including the United States government, repeated efforts to internationalize the conflict in Ethiopia through the UN Security Council had been unsuccessful.
Ethiopians believe that the United States has been making efforts in different forms to support the TPLF group which the Ethiopian parliament designated as a terrorist organization.
Recently, TPLF spokesperson, Getachew Reda, accidentally leaked information that the United States has been urging TPLF to take control of Addis Ababa. The United States government, including through the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, denied saying that it had not encouraged the TPLF forces to expand military activity or control Addis Ababa.
Now the UN seems to be using the Human Rights Council as a tool to pursue great powers politically motivated interest in Ethiopia. On Friday, it passed a decision to establish an international inquiry to investigate human rights abuse. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has jointly investigated, with Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, alleged genocide in Tigray. It concluded that there was no genocide in Tigray.
The European Union initiated a special session, which required support from one-third of the member countries. The session discussed “the impact of conflict that began in Tigray,” and the outcome is that an international “experts” are to investigate it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has issued a statement in reaction to the decision, and is featured below :
Press Release
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia
MFAE
Ethiopia is extremely disappointed to have witnessed once again the use of the Human Rights Council by some to advance their politically motivated agenda.
Regardless of repeated requests by the government of Ethiopia for the Council not to hold a special session but rather engage in a constructive manner and work in a collaborative spirit with the country concerned, some succeeded in achieving their objective through attaining majority votes in the Council.
This is also done against the recommendations by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission which were submitted to the President of the Human Rights Council on 14 December 2021 and to all members of the Council requesting it to unequivocally support the implementation of the Joint Investigation Team’s recommendations, the work of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force and for the OHCHR and the EHRC to continue with further joint investigations.
This action by some in the Council is an attempt to find an alternative way of meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and serves no purpose except exacerbating the situation on the ground.
What is even more worrying is that this trend in the proliferation of establishing mechanisms through the Council in most cases have failed to attain their objectives and have become merely tools of imposition on countries who refuse interference in their internal affairs.
This is why Ethiopia has categorically rejected the special session and its politically motivated outcome which undermines trust in the work of the Council, and most importantly, the territorial integrity, national sovereignty and political independence of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia would like to reiterate that it will not cooperate with the established mechanism imposed upon it against its consent.
Ethiopia wishes to thank those who have expressed their support and solidarity and reiterates its commitment to continue its efforts to fulfil its obligations under international law to respect and protect human rights.
No More to double standards; No More to unilateral coercive measures; and No More to meddling in internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.
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