Thread by @althecat

Whether intentionally/coincidentally or by “following the thread” the timing of @wfp’s statement (supported by a UN media briefing) and the publication of an @ap report about health issues in Tigray off of an Ethiopia Insight article submitted from Tigray appear coordinated.

https://twitter.com/wfp_media/status/1487000670486110212

And this activity is coinciding with a new burst of #tigraygenocide #hashtag activity. All of which coincides with a expanded TPLF offensive against Afar during which it appears they have occupied Ab’ala, and as a result ensured that the Semera-Mekelle aid corridor is closed.

This is a pattern of information support activity for TPLF activity which has been seen over and over again since TPLF rejected the GOE’s humanitarian ceasefire on June 28th.

This instance also coincides with questionable activity by @WHO’s electoral board r.e. @DrTedros

It’s hard to imagine a more obvious set of facts which prima facie suggest that UN humanitarian agencies good offices are being abused in support of a violent secessionist rebellion against a UN Member state.

The UN is rightly concerned about the expansion of information warfare activities around the world.

But here two UN agencies appear to be actively participating in this plague, intentionally or as “useful idiots”.

The consequences of the apparent absence of any efforts at the UN to mitigate (or even reflect on) the consistent pattern of flouting of the principles of independence and impartiality in relation to the TPLF - in which @DrTedros was/is a senior leader are very serious.

In Afar hundreds of thousands of civilians are affected, and 100s are dying due to the escalating TPLF offensive for which @who and @wfp are providing cover.

While this TPLF escalation in Afar has belatedly been acknowledged by the UN and @StateDept and Afar in recent days, it is too little too late. And their statements have received very limited media exposure.

As always, reporting TPLF war crimes has been given a back seat.

We have seen this story before. Repeatedly.

While the UN expressed in strong terms its concerns about children being used as “human shields” in an ISIS prison break. There has been little to no mention of TPLF use of child soldiers as human shields consistently in Tigray.

Friday’s briefing by the @UN_Spokesperson was particularly bleak, not just about Ethiopia, but seemingly just about everywhere. In part because nearly no media turned up to even ask questions.

Analogies with Pontius Pilate and Nero readily come to mind when thinking about the state of the global order ATM.

Way too often the UN appears to just be going through the motions when it seeks to address the “five alarm fire” that UNSG @antonioguterres addressed the UNGA this week.

Clearly the UN is also doing a lot of good helping vulnerable people in dire circumstances. But it is losing the bigger battle, and it appears almost resigned to this reality.

The UN system’s capacity to respond to the myriad of crises it faces is almost entirely dependent on maintenance of the support of its - at times demanding - nation state (and politically sensitive) donors.

And it’s peak decision making body the UNSC is outdated, riven with internal great power dysfunction. It appears powerless, and because of its many flaws is treated with suspicion by much of the world’s population and politicians.

Suspicions which are entirely justified by its performance as outlined in the case of Afar at the beginning of this thread.

The UNSG @antonioguterres seems to the only person addressing all of this.

But he cannot do this on his own.

We know what the problems are, but the UN and “we the people” are powerless to address them.

An improved approach is clearly needed, as status quo is taking things downhill fast.

A good place for the UN to begin might be to address the egregious internal failures to adhere to own principles in Ethiopia.

/ENDS

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