Conspicuous Silence of UN System on Devastations in Amhara, Afar Regions Manifests Its Lack of Neutrality: Legal Scholar

Addis Ababa January 4/2022/ENA/ The conspicuous silence of the UN system on the destructions of health, education and other facilities in Amhara and Afar regions by the terrorist TPLF clearly demonstrates that the system is neither neutral nor objective, a legal scholar said.

Addis Ababa University College of Law and Good Governance Studies Dean,  Getachew Assefa told ENA that the stand of some Western countries, the UN system and its agencies, including WHO and UNESCO, on matters pertaining to Ethiopia is biased and revolving around the  policy of Western countries.

And the Western policy is putting pressure on the Ethiopian government in a way that helps the TPLF in its fight against the Ethiopian state.

Recalling that the TPLF is a body designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian parliament, he noted that some Western countries and the UN system are exerting all kinds of efforts to support this group by ignoring such declarations.

“All of the things that have happened since the war broke out show that the UN system and its agencies are not neutral, fair,  and objective. They are not also focusing on the problem,” he elaborated.  

According to the legal scholar, the number of people affected in Afar and Amhara regions and the devastations and the human rights violations are incomparable.

Yet, the UN organization systems do not say much about the violations of the TPLF.  

“So, the lack of focus not only in action but also in policy statements and press releases is complete disregard related to the relief situation in Amhara and Afar regions,” Getachew pointed out.  

The UN and some Western diplomats talk about issues of human rights is simply unacceptable and demonstrates the fact that it is not about human rights, the scholar noted.

“If it was about human rights, you look at the people affected by the TPLF and the whole kinds of human rights violations done.”

For the legal scholar, there is serious problem of neutrality and objectivity in the UN system in general and UNSECO as well as other agencies of the UN system.