MoFA Says EU’s Resolution Politically Motivated, Untimely

July 14, 2021

BY STAFF REPORTER

ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian government has rejected a resolution by the European Union (EU) on the situation of human rights in Tigray adopted at the 47th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council as it is untimely adoption of a politically motivated resolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (MoFA) said in a statement.

Therefore, the statement underlined that constructive engagement, rather than a hasty decision by the Council, would have contributed to expeditiously bring the ongoing efforts to a successful conclusion, the Ministry argued in the statement.

Ethiopia has made the case clear before the Council, pleaded for the investigation to run its course and called on the august body to provide the necessary time and space for the investigations to be completed, the statement recalled.

According to the statement, the resolution also failed to consider that the Ethiopian Government has agreed to the deployment of the joint investigation team composed of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to inquire into human rights violations allegedly committed during the crisis in Tigray.

Moreover, the resolution has devalued efforts of the joint team that has already commenced its investigation in May and is being expected to finalize its work in August, the statement said adding: “The investigations are being expanded in scope by coordinating the efforts of the military justice system, regional law enforcement authorities and federal investigators with prosecutors.”

“It should be noted that those who were involved in committing crimes will be brought to justice and punished to the full extent of the law. The Government of Ethiopia once again reiterates its commitment to fulfill its national and international human rights obligations,” the statement reaffirmed.

Since the proposal was put forth by the EU at the 47th Session of the Human Rights Council, the Government of Ethiopia has been appealing for the withdrawal of the resolution on the premise that first, it is premature, and second, it interferes with and undermines the integrity of the ongoing joint investigations, as stated on the statement.

The Ethiopian Herald July 14/2021