UN says 16 local staff were detained in Ethiopia amid campaign to end war
Sixteen Ethiopian employees working for the United Nations were detained Tuesday after government raids on ethnic Tigraya people, the United Nations said, as foreign envoys rush to end the year-long war in the country.
The arrests in Addis Ababa followed the declaration of a six-month national state of emergency last week, after rebels in Tigrayan and Oromo claimed major advances on the ground, raising fears of a march on the capital.
Some UN staff members were taken from their homes, humanitarian sources said, shortly after a high-ranking UN envoy visited Tigray to appeal to civilians for more help.
Sixteen UN staff members, all Ethiopian nationals, remained in detention while six others were released, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the world body’s headquarters.
“Of course, we are actively working with the Ethiopian government to secure his immediate release,” Dujarric said.
“As far as I know, no explanation has been given to us as to why these staff members are being detained,” he said.
Lawyers say arbitrary arrests of Tigraya people, a commonplace during the war, have skyrocketed in the past week, trapping thousands, with the new measures allowing authorities to detain anyone suspected of supporting “groups. terrorists “without a warrant.
Tensions between the Ethiopian government and the UN have been high during the war, which has killed thousands of people and, according to the UN, pushed hundreds of thousands into famine conditions due to a de facto humanitarian blockade on Tigray.
In September, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry announced that it was expelling seven senior UN officials for “meddling” in the country’s affairs.
Foreign envoys and the UN now hope that a fresh push led by the African Union will lead to a ceasefire.
UN emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths called for peace on Tuesday after a weekend visit to the regional capital of Tigray, Mekele, where he met with leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front rebel group. (TPLF).
“I ask all parties to heed the UN Secretary General’s call to immediately end hostilities without preconditions, and I reiterate the full support (of the UN)” for the AU’s efforts, he said.
Jeffrey Feltman, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, held overnight talks Monday with his AU counterpart, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, after meeting with senior Ethiopian officials last week, the State Department said.
“We think there is a small opening window to work with (Obasanjo),” spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington.
“We have also committed to the TPLF,” Price said.
‘Window of opportunity’
Briefing the 15-member AU security corps on Monday, Obasanjo expressed optimism that progress was in sight.
“All these leaders here in Addis Ababa and in the north individually agree that the differences that oppose them are political and require a political solution through dialogue,” he said in a copy of his statement seen by AFP.
“This therefore constitutes a window of opportunity that we can collectively seize.”
The TPLF and its allies, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), have achieved several victories in recent weeks, seizing towns some 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the capital, and have not ruled out marching on Addis Ababa.
The government says the rebels are grossly overstating their gains, but has ordered the capital to prepare to defend itself.
Much of the conflict-affected area is blocked from communications and access for journalists is restricted, making it difficult to verify claims on the battlefield.
However, several countries have urged their citizens to leave Ethiopia while commercial flights are still available.
The US embassy also ordered the departure of non-essential personnel and the UN suspended non-essential missions to Addis Ababa.
Britain on Tuesday advised citizens to leave Ethiopia, citing a deteriorating security situation.
“The conflict has the potential to escalate and spread rapidly and with little warning,” the notice said.
Among African nations, Zambia repatriated 31 workers from its embassy in Addis Ababa, following an order from President Hakain from Hichilema to evacuate citizens.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to Tigray in November 2020 to overthrow the TPLF, the former regional ruling party that dominated national politics before Abiy took power in 2018.
Winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, Abiy promised a quick victory, but by June the TPLF had retaken most of Tigray before expanding into neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.
(AFP)
