The expulsions are an affront. To the UN (and others). These are self inflicted wounds. And they reflect how this is conflict where Ethiopians are killing and raping Ethiopians. It is Ethiopia's leaders who are letting down Ethiopia.
Q1: Reuters - are you going to impose sanctions on Ethiopia?
A: The fact of the UNSC meeting today was an action. It was not an action that was easy to take. The US have tools at our disposal. It could be a resolution...
..."The President signed an EO which provides possibility of sanctions against individuals and that is available if we need it."
Q2: @baysontheroad@AJENews - Can I ask you about the new allegations made against the UN?
A: The UNSG said he wanted to see evidence. The fact they are new raises some concerns to my mind.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
This (2nd image) is what >> un.org/ruleoflaw/them… << the @UN says about the the need for Freedom of Information laws to be in place in nation states to protect freedom of expression as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
And this is a recent (2020) statement issued by the independent OHCHR [Office of the high commissioner of human rights] issued about the absence of implementation of Freedom of Information within UN institutions. ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/…
“The UN and many international organizations lack the kind of freedom of information policies that are increasingly the norm among governments,” - David Kaye said before presenting a new report to the UN General Assembly.
I'd love to know who @jack talked to when he visited Ethiopia and what they talked about?
The role of @Twitter in reversing the information warfare dominance of TPLF, based mostly on lies, and replacing it with narratives based on reality has been an outstanding success.
There are spectacular differences between the approaches applied by the TPLF's cyber corps and those of Ethiopia.
TPLF: trolling, lying, gaslighting, bland unspecific allegations.
ETHIOPIA: humour, amplifying, revealing, informing, investigating, thanking and politely rebuffing
On the news media side the TPLF maintain clear dominance however. They have put in a lot off effort with things like story fabrication and placement, engineered and carefully deployed leaks.
This oped is indicates that from the outset the war, the UN’s perspective on Tigray was divorced from reality.
TPLF attacks on multiple ENDF bases, killing 1000s of soldiers & officers, stealing heavy weaponry and attacking a neighboring state. Is not a “political dispute”.
I can only conclude from this intemperate and delusional account of recent history that Sir Mark Lowcock is anxious, that when the causes of the humanitarian disaster in Tigray are determined, they will be sheeted home to his leadership.
The appearance by @antonioguterres at the end of the meeting is perhaps the most striking bit of all of this.
"It is my duty to defend the honour of the United Nations," he said when asked about his "right of reply" at end.
VIDEO: (Beginning 2:36mins) media.un.org/en/asset/k17/k…
"The UN has no political agenda in Ethiopia. Our agenda is just one to support the Ethiopian people, Tigrayans, Amaharas, Afaris, Somalis, that have suffered so much. We cannot see people going on dying, because of bullets, because of hunger...
"... we need to do everything to stop this conflict. We need to do everything to ensure that humanitarian aid is distributed everywhere to everybody. We need to do everything for a dialogue to be established among Ethiopians to solve the problems in Ethiopia."
The @UN_Spokesperson's insubstantive remarks on Ethiopia at today's media briefing was likely indeference UNSG @antonioguterres, who has chosen to make it the focus of the UNSC centerpiece of the day, the consultation on "Peace and Security in Africa".
Estonia followed Ireland, so far the statements have been very predictable. Reiterating and reinforcing existing flawed understanding of what has been, and is happening in Ethiopia.
France speaking now, says Obasanjo is in Paris tomorrow to talk to the French. A short formulaic statement also.