ADDIS ABABA – With a view to upholding unity and sovereignty of the country, Scholars urged the government to follow up actively the activities of irresponsible humanitarian agencies that are meddling in the internal affairs.
Recently, the government of Ethiopia has expelled seven UN staff workers from Ethiopia as persona non grata for meddling in the internal affairs of Ethiopia in conformity with international laws and practices. Scholars indicated that the government needs to take caution not to repeat the same mistake in the future and follow up the activity of international organizations not to meddle in the internal affairs of the country.
Kotebe Metropolitan University History and Law Lecturer Almaw Kifle (PhD) told local media that over the past years some international humanitarian agencies used the political gap in the country to secure their hidden interest.
It was observed in countries like in Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and others that some of the international organizations and including those operating under UN system were working to execute their country’s foreign policy interests contrary to their mainstream and further catalyze the problem than merely meeting the target they are working for in their respective organizations, he said.
Investment Advisor Yared Haile Meskel on his part stated that some of the western countries have used those international humanitarian agencies as a means of executing their hidden agenda so as to make themselves neutral enough.
Debre Berhan University Lecturer of Law, Zemedkun Mekasha said that any kind of humanitarian assistance must be in a way to protect the national interest of the host country and comply with principles of the international law. Understanding the activity of those humanitarian agencies, the government needs to take meticulous follow up and strengthen the activity of checking their action.
Sustainable usage of national resources and capacity, enriching strong working culture in the country, and bridging the political gap are the ways forward to avert challenges emanate from external actors.
International laws and practices prohibit any action of diplomats that goes against the national interest and sovereignty of the host state as the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations explicitly states the obligation of diplomats to respect the laws and regulations of the hosting state and non-interference in the domestic affairs of the same state.
BY HAILE DEMEKE
The Ethiopian herald October 30/2021
