Ethiopia Provides UN Evidences of Aid Workers Meddling, says Delegation

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia on Monday said it has provided “abundant” audio and video evidences of aid workers meddling to relevant officials of the United Nations, and rejected a new call to reinstate them.

Ethiopia said this in a statement its Permanent delegation to the UN in Geneva issued in a response to “shocked and dismayed” UK’s ambassador to the UN request for reinstatement of the UN officials.

The aid workers including UNICEF’s top official reportedly left Ethiopia on Sunday after they were called persona non grata, and ordered them to leave the country within 72 hours.

The UN has not neither launched a probe on its workers of wrongdoing or responded to Ethiopia’s request to send their replacements, while the West continues to put pressure on Addis Ababa to reverse its decision.

The Ethiopian delegation said the government has noted the statement UK delivered to the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of 40 countries “with regret”, adding “this August body is neither the place nor the venue to raise the matter”.

It is related predominantly to the mandate and privileges of UN Agencies and International Organizations and does not fall within the prerogative of the human rights council in accordance with UNGA 60/251 and HRC 5/1, the statement noted.

The delegation has called the UK and Co move “a blatant violation of Ethiopia’s sovereign prerogative”, rejecting “politicization of humanitarian assistance”.

“The serious violations of UN staff and others that had failed to fulfill their mission independently and impartially were brought to the attention of the relevant UN high officials & other international partners with abundant pertinent audio and video evidences,” the delegation said.

It has also called up the UN “to continue to uphold the principles of impartiality and neutrality”.
“As far as Ethiopia is concerned, the cooperation with Multilateral agencies, including those of the UN, will continue” it said, “provided that their activities will not undermine the sovereignty of Ethiopia and pose a threat to its national security”.

The delegation has reiterated the call of the government of Ethiopia which asked the UN to “expeditiously replace those personnel”.