Correspondence Between some Western Countries and the Terrorist TPLF Violates International Law

BY SOLOMON DIBABA

Article 86 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia clearly provides six principles and objectives of international relations of external relations that set the basis for the establishment of foreign relations, diplomatic activities as well as official foreign correspondences and any form of official relations under the prerogatives of the federal government of Ethiopia.

When it comes to foreign relations and correspondences, the official competence of conducting foreign relations and correspondences is strictly confined in the subjects of international law. The subjects of international law on the other hand are only sovereign states; and several other internationally recognized entities that possess the capacity to correspond with each other, unilaterally, bilaterally or in multi-lateral formations. Any official correspondence that is conducted outside of the subjects of international law which are sovereign states is not only a beach of international law but is also in violation of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

However, after it is ousted from power by popular insurrections of the people of Ethiopia, the terrorist TPLF was engaged in a marathon of violations of the constitution of Ethiopia and the federal laws of the country by conducting an illegal election which followed from the non-recognitions of the federal government falsely dooming it illegal. The federal government not only annulled the results of the election but also declared it illegal and criminal act.

 Speaking to ENA regarding the criminal acts of the terrorist TPLF with foreign countries and international organizations like the UN systems, Dr. Getachew Asefa, Dean of the College of Law and Good Governance Studies, Addis Ababa University said: “Only sovereign states and officially recognized international organizations are considered as subjects of international law or persons of international law. Any correspondence with the international organizations or countries must be directed to the officials of sovereign states.”

Several important points must be clear here. In the first place, the leaders of the regional government who took power through illegal election are not legally recognized by the federal government. Moreover, in accordance to article 86 of the federal constitution, correspondences with leaders of foreign countries and UN systems are illegal by the standards of the national law of Ethiopia as well as the provisions of international law as provided for instance by the Vienna Convention.

Dr. Getachew further notes that: “When you look at the current situation in Ethiopia in which international actors, treaty bodies and UN establishments and officials of some western countries, there are a lot of questions to be asked on how they treat the Ethiopian government and the TPLF, considering as co-equals. Correspondence by TPLF with UN officials or their own correspondences with TPLF without involving the government is violation of international law and disrespect to the sovereignty of the Government of Ethiopia.”

This clearly indicates that both terrorist TPLF and those who have been accepting their countless letters of appeal to global governments are engaged in open violation of international law, the Ethiopian Constitution and the official polices and norms of diplomatic relations as provided in the Vienna Convention.

According to Article 27, sub-article 1 of the Vienna Convention of 1961: “The receiving State shall permit and protect free communication on the part of the mission for all official purposes. In communicating with the Government and the other missions and consulates of the sending State, wherever situated, the mission may employ all appropriate means, including diplomatic couriers and messages in code or cipher. However, the mission may install and use a wireless transmitter only with the consent of the receiving State.”

The above provision relates only to formal and normal diplomatic relations and correspondence but terrorist TPLF is not a representative of even a regional state let alone having the competence of sovereign state.

 Terrorist TPLF was not alone in conducting illegal commutations with foreign states and its supporters in foreign land through the communication networks and satellite phone services which were smuggled into Tigray by foreigners who were secretly supporting the terrorist organization to further destabilize the country and to destroy the legitimate political order of a sovereign state.

The terrorist TPLF had no legal authority or competence to communicate directly with the UN system, including the individuals and countries that supported it. However, the terrorist group has used its illegal position to conduct misinformation campaigns on the people and government of Ethiopia by fabricating false information that has never been verified on the ground.

The states and UN systems that collaborated with this terrorist organization rallied their media outlets against Ethiopia in gross violation of international law and other relevant international conventions and principles. The western countries and the US deliberately emboldened terrorist TPLF to continue with its lawlessness by conducting untold crimes against humanity and violations of human rights which now the west tries to put the blame on the Government of Ethiopia by attempting to investigate crimes that are already physically visible for all to see.

The western countries and the US are well aware of the bitter truth on the ground but have never been ready to condemn a terrorist organization they helped to assume power in Ethiopia over the last 27 years in which the organization was preparing itself for a war with Ethiopian people.

Now the terrorist TPLF and its associate are practically on their death bed but still major western countries have refrained from facing the truth that is happening before their own eyes.

As a matter of fact, terrorist TPLF has never acted as a liberation movement that it was ready to accomplish its purposes but have now created a hell on earth for the people of Tigray.

 As it appears, war is the only means of survival for this terrorist organization but the agony of the Ethiopians in Amhara and Afar would persist unless this organization is politically decapitated right to the end.