Special Session Resolution Undermines Spirit of Cooperation between Ethiopia and UNHRC: GCS

December 18/2021 (ENA)  The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) special session on Ethiopia was an attempt to undermine the spirit of cooperation and trust between Ethiopia and the institution, according to Government Communication Service (GCS).

Briefing the media today, Government Communication Service State Minister Selamawit Kassa said the government has done a lot for the protection of human rights during the past three years.

The efforts to establish a strong and independent institution that fully ensures the rights of citizens has also been successful, she added.

The Government of Ethiopia recognizes that this special meeting was a political tool utilized to pressurize the country. The countries that voted for the resolution had, for example, never condemned the terrorist TPLF when it committed many crimes and atrocities.

The state minister described the decision passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as unfortunate and the process as well the outcome unacceptable.

“The government recognizes that it is unfortunate that the meeting was held at a time when the TPLF terrorist group committed horrible atrocities in the Amhara and Afar regions,” she stressed.

According to her, the whole process of the session was an attempt to intervene in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and used to facilitate conditions for their own agenda.  

“I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm that the outcome of yesterday's special meeting and the process as a whole undermine the spirit of cooperation and trust between Ethiopia and the institution; and is unacceptable.”

However, what we saw yesterday clearly showed that there are friendly countries that stood by Ethiopia in the face of adversity while others wanted to attack her, Selamawit underscored.

The people and Government of Ethiopia would like to extend many thanks for those friendly countries  advocating Ethiopia's sovereignty at every forum, she pointed out.

Asked about the recent detention of three journalists, the state minister responded that they were linked with terrorist organizations designated by the House of People's Representative.

Selamawit said there are individuals and institutions that try to mislead and confuse the citizens by linking this issue to human rights abuses.

She underlined that no one is above the sovereignty of the country and it is unacceptable to try to destroy the country under the cover of professional protection in this very challenging time.