BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
Ethiopians, Ethiopian descent and friends of Ethiopia living in Australia staged a peaceful demonstration in Canberra in support of the Ethiopian government’s and condemned the forces that are trying to impose illegal pressure on Ethiopia.
According to the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency, demonstrators said they supported the government’s move to enforce the law in the northern part of the country and opposed those who spread false information and mislead the international community.
The Western countries have not only supported Ethiopia’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty and maintain its unity but also to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs, they stressed in their demonstrations.
The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in London, UK remains deeply concerned by allegations of the use of “rape as an instrument of war”. The Government maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards rape and sexual violence, which constitute grave violations of human rights, and in treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness.
Since the law enforcement operation began in the Tigray region, the government of Ethiopia has taken concrete steps to address any human rights abuses that have occurred within the context of the conflict triggered by the TPLF and have made its position unequivocally clear concerning human rights violations committed.
In line with the government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law and bring to account any perpetrators of these crimes, special taskforces comprised of representatives from the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Police Commission have been deployed to Tigray in recent weeks to carry out investigations on the ground aimed at establishing the facts.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, an independent body, has also been investigating the allegations in the region and has routinely been releasing its findings.
The government also welcomes international assistance to undertake further investigations and welcomes the possibility for collaboration on potential joint investigations with relevant human rights bodies.
The Ethiopian Embassy in London affirms that all women and girls across Ethiopia should be able to feel safe in their homes, free from fear of all forms of violence and abuse. The government would like to reassure Ethiopians, the international community, and development partners that Ethiopia is committed to enabling a stable and peaceful country in which the rights of women and girls are protected, and the rule of law is ensured.
Any serious violations committed against citizens will be thoroughly investigated, and the government will spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and crimes against the State to justice.
Since the law enforcement operation began, the Ethiopian government has taken concrete steps to address human rights abuses that have occurred within the context of the conflict and have made its position unequivocally clear concerning human rights violations committed in the Tigray region.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Ethiopia remains deeply concerned by allegations of the use of rape as an instrument of war. The government maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards rape and sexual violence and is treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness.
In line with the Ethiopian government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law & bring to account any perpetrators of these crimes, special task forces have been deployed to Tigray to carry out investigations.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Ethiopia and the European Union (EU) have held consultations on their future cooperation for the next 2021- 2027 period. The discussion focused on incorporating Ethiopia’s 10-year development plan and the EU’s development policy in a draft document prepared regarding their future cooperation. Yasmin Wohabrebbi, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance, on the occasion said Ethiopia and the EU have longstanding relations and cooperation in various sectors. The State Minister thanked the Union for its support to Ethiopia’s health, climate change, election, government financial management and agriculture fields. The support from the EU has brought remarkable results.
The Ministry further noted that despite the deployment of numerous Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in Tigray State, the humanitarian assistance they have been providing thus far is inadequate, according to the Interim Administration’s Communications Bureau. In an interview with the Tigrinya weekly, Wegahta, Bureau Head Etenesh Negusie stated that though the NGOs are providing nutritious food and non-food items, the expectations were that international partners would avail support that matched the scale of the problem.
To further support the efforts abroad, four Ethiopian civic institutions have filled the letter to United Nations and the UN Security Council (UNSC) to exert diplomatic pressure on the invading Sudanese troops to withdraw from Ethiopia’s territories and to bring the Sudanese government to a roundtable discussion. Accordingly, Ethiopian Negotiation Forum, Ethiopian Border Affairs Committee, Ethiopian Citizens Defense Council, and Vision Ethiopia directly sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to inform him Sudan’s violation of UN Charters in invading sovereign Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Herald 21 March 2021
