Thread by @althecat

An old story. But relevant to the intention to reappoint @DrTedros, unopposed to head WHO. This on top of serious allegations made against him during his time as a senior member of an oppressive US sponsored proxy TPLF Govt. in Ethiopia.

#SayNoToDrTedros

https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1442943921705816071

And then there is @DrTedros’s active support of a war of secession against his native Ethiopia, one which is destabilising a massive region, and which has involved repeated crimes against humanity, massacres, use of child soldiers, systemic looting and destruction of livelihoods.

Does anyone have a screenshot of @DrTedros’s “Pride” tweet in response to the @nytimes triumphant report about the TPLF offensive which took place in June under the cover of Ethiopia’s first free and fair elections?

. @WHO Chief @DrTedros is the most senior international official among a significant cohort of Tigrayan officials in senior UN/Western Govt positions appointed during the 27 year period in which the TPLF was a US/EU Global war on Terror proxy, and ruled Ethiopia for its benefit.

Thank you 🙏 for finding this tweet @WonMez.

It appears it was actually sent on the date of the Ethiopian Govts’ “Unilateral Ceasefire” announcement, when Mekelle fell and Ethiopian Govt. forces left most of Tigray.

https://twitter.com/drtedros/status/1409602147830972418

Even if the UN US and EU (and other WHO contributing nations) are unable to recognise their own double standard wrt the illegality of wars of secession, surely this conduct by a summit level global official cannot be condoned in global governance.

Had @DrTedros used his position to publicly call for peace and reconciliation, to encourage the TPLF to reciprocate the spirit of the ceasefire that would be have been appropriate.

But instead he chose to express his delight in a military victory by secessionist violent rebellion.

And given what we now know about this war, and how it was planned, it seems entirely possible that @DrTedros may have been aware of this from the beginning.

With great power &privilege comes great responsibility. A senior official such as @DrTedros needs to have impeccable credibility. Doubly so thanks to controversies around Covid.

Here we have evidence of his active support for activities which make a mockery of the UN Charter.

If there is impunity for misconduct by officials at the apex of global governance, how can we expect the highest standards of ethical behavior from those who work under them?

In observing the circumstances around the tragic events unfolding in Ethiopia and Tigray for the past few months it is apparent systemic failures at the apex of Global Govt. are largely responsible.

Initially it appeared the central cause was failure in the United States: group think, inattention (Trump Transition), preference of personal relationships over evidence, closed minds and prejudice all played a part.

As the truth has emerged in the crucible of war, war resumed unilaterally by the TPLF and stubbornly supported by the EU, UK and UN agencies and related NGOs such as HRW and Amnesty we now have growing evidence of how this metastasized.

The leaked recording from @UNEthiopia is a critical juncture in this as it shows directly how hard/impossible it is for the apex leadership of UN institutions to acknowledge mistakes.

Similarly there is a massive problem for the media created by global group think in an era of badly resourced news organizations. It is nearly impossible for editors to contemplate resourcing of narratives which do not fit the dominant story.

Recently cracks are starting to appear in all of this. Mostly as a result of massive TPLF over reach. Their assumption that their impunity was a forever phenomenon led them to committing war crimes and actions such as the theft of trucks and aid which have been their undoing.

For Ethiopians, and many Africans, the POV of a Ferengi like me that this is not a conspiracy but rather incompetence does not compute.

Their experience, like mine, feels like being in a dystopian novel, Heller’s Catch 22, Orwell’s 1984, or Kafka’s The Trial.

I have the benefit of decades in political and intl. journalism to inform my alternative view that organizational dysfunction, especially in large organisations, is the norm not the exception.

That said, even in global dysfunction terms what has been experienced by Ethiopia is exceptional, both in its underlying nature - the lingering impacts of 27 years of corrupt policy - and its timing, amid Trump, Covid and the Climate Crisis.

These exceptions make it a perfect learning opportunity for global institutions which we - humanity - all need to work. And which we - humanity - all know are failing us and need an upgrade to address the coming existential struggle against Climate Change.

But this will not happen without brave global leaders stepping up. Not all are capable, and only Apex leaders are in a position to make and push for changes of magnitude required. @antonioguterres has made a good start. But he needs a lot of support if humanity is to prevail.

And in the meantime, compromises like reappointing @DrTedros - because the challenge of replacing him seems to difficult - should not be made.

The path to anywhere requires the taking of a first step, with a clear intention.

@DrTedros /ENDS

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