News: US, EU, Germany & UK condemn UN staff expulsion, ask Ethiopia to reverse decision; US threatens to use Executive Order
By Addis Standard Staff
Addis Abeba, October 01/2021 – After Ethiopia declared seven individuals working for various UN affiliated organizations “persona non grata” and accused them of meddling in the internal affairs of the country, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Germany condemned the decision and asked Ethiopia to reverse its decision.
The President of the EU said, “I join my voice to Antonio Guterres . Expulsion of 7 UN staff from Ethiopia at a moment where millions of people are in dire need of aid is unacceptable. Saving lives and helping those in need is the primary responsibility of the Government of Ethiopia.”
“We call on the government of Ethiopia to reverse this decision with immediate effect.”
UK Government
The Embassy of the United Kingdom said, “Humanitarian partners to Ethiopia are concerned by the expulsion of individuals working for the United Nations (UN) who are essential to providing life saving assistance to millions of Ethiopian citizens throughout the country,” adding, “Ethiopia is in the midsts of multiple humanitarian crisis. The UN delivers principled humanitarian aid, addressing needs on a neutral, impartial basis.”
Before calling on the Federal government to reverse its decision, the statement read, “We call on the government of Ethiopia to reverse this decision with immediate effect.”
Echoing the British government calls, the German Embassy in Addis Abeba on its part said, “As one of Ethiopia’s largest humanitarian partners, we share Antonio Guterres’ concern about expulsion of UN staff in Ethiopia who are essential to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid to millions of Ethiopians,” adding, “ Germany ask the government of Ethiopia for expulsions to be reversed.”
“We will not hesitate to use this or any other tool at our disposal to respond quickly and decisively to those who obstruct humanitarian assistance to the people of Ethiopia.”
US Administration
Moreover, the White House in a strong worded statement said, “The U.S. The Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the Government of Ethiopia’s unprecedented action to expel the leadership of […] the United Nations organizations involved in ongoing humanitarian operations.”
Adding, “ We agree with UN leaders: this is a stain on our collective conscience and it must stop. This action follows the release of reports warning that hundreds of thousands of people are starving to death in northern Ethiopia. We are deeply concerned that this action continues a pattern by the Ethiopian government of obstructing the delivery of food, medicine, and other supplies to those most in need.”
It called on the international community to take actions to address what it described as a ‘pattern’, it said, “We call on the UN Security Council and members of the international community to take urgent action to make clear to the Government of Ethiopia that impeding humanitarian operations and depriving your own citizens of the basic means of survival is unacceptable.”
The US administration threatened to use President Biden’s executive order to respond to Ethiopia’s obstruction of humanitarian assistance to its citizens, ”President Biden signed an Executive Order earlier this month enabling the U.S. government to impose financial sanctions on those prolonging the conflict in northern Ethiopia. We will not hesitate to use this or any other tool at our disposal to respond quickly and decisively to those who obstruct humanitarian assistance to the people of Ethiopia.” AS
