Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United Nations Taye Atske Selassie Amde has confirmed that the Eritrean troops who have been fighting with his country’s forces in a war against the Tigray region’s fugitive leaders “will definitely leave soon” from a region.
The UN welcomed the intention of the two neighbouring countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, to end the armed conflict. Meantime, the humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock accused the Eritreans of using starvation as “a weapon of war.”
During the recent informal closed meeting of the UN Security Council, Mr Lowcock warned that over 350,000 people were in famine conditions, with deaths from starvation already reported and Ethiopia’s UN envoy.
So far, no one knows how many thousands of civilians or combatants have been killed during the armed conflict. Though prime minister Abiy declared victory in late November, Ethiopia’s militants remain active including troops from neighbouring Eritrea, a bitter enemy of the now-fugitive officials who once led Tigray.
Describing the nightmares of the situation in Tigray, Lowcock told the Security Council that the aid workers have been killed, interrogated, beaten, blocked from taking aid to the starving and suffering and told not to come back. meanwhile, rape is being used systematically to terrorize women and girls.
Ethiopia is going to leave Tigray ‘soon’
Asked when they would leave, Ethiopia’s UN envoy said that “there is a commitment from my government, and the Eritreans are very clear as well, that it is a matter of sorting out some technical and procedural issues. Our expectation is they will definitely leave soon.”
Commenting on her counterpart’s remark, the British UN envoy Barbara Woodward said, “there can be no further delay.”
Woodward stressed that the lives of millions of people hang in the balance. “The solution is clear: a cease-fire, humanitarian access and political dialogue,” she said.
The 14 point statement never mentions famine and warns the UNSC that any action it takes must immediately respond to the reality that Ethiopia is finalizing preparations for an election that is barely a week away.
