#NewsAlert: Russian Embassy in Addis Abeba tells Ethiopians it doesn’t accept applications for military recruitment
Addis Abeba – The Russian Embassy in Addis Abeba posted a statement on its Facebook page telling Ethiopians that “while reiterating our gratitude to all concerned citizens of Ethiopia, we would like to inform that the Embassy does not accept any applications for recruitment in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”
The statement came a day after a heated controversy erupted following the sighting of hundreds of Ethiopian men queuing in front of the Russian Embassy in the capital Addis Abeba in an apparent attempt to enlist and aide the Russian Army in its invasion of Ukraine.
The Embassy denied that allegation but admitted that the long queue was that of Ethiopians lined up to show “solidarity.”
In the latest statement released this evening, the Embassy said that it “has been receiving by emails and in-person visits from citizens of Ethiopia expressions of their solidarity and support for the Russian Federation.”
However the embassy said “it should be emphasized that the Embassy strictly complies with the provisions of its own national legislation and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, according to which recruitment of foreign nationals in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is not within the scope of the diplomatic mission’s activities.”
“In this regard, while reiterating our gratitude to all concerned citizens of Ethiopia, we would like to inform that the Embassy does not accept any applications for recruitment in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. We are confident that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have sufficient capacity to accomplish all the responsible tasks assigned to them.” AS
