ICHREE Report More of Political Statement Than Human Rights Investigation: Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to UN in Geneva

Addis Ababa September 22/2022 (ENA) The report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) is more of a political statement than any human rights investigation, the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the UN in Geneva said.

Speaking to ENA from Geneva, Switzerland, Ambassador Zenebe Kebede said the report is a document with an  ill-intended  motive.

 “It (the report) was politically motivated. The  Commission of Human Rights Experts said they have contacted the TPLF and what we can understand (from that) is they simply received a dictation from the TPLF and put their report as an investigation. Rather, it is a political statement.”

Recall that the ICHREE presented its initial findings on the alleged human right violation in Tigray and accused the Ethiopian government of crimes against humanity.

Ambassador Zenebe recalled that from the outset Ethiopia had opposed the resolution establishing the experts commission on Ethiopia last December 2021.

 This was because the establishment of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia was totally politically motivated, he noted.    

 Explaining why the government opposed the formation of the ICHREE from the outset, Ambassador Zenebe explained that it was established to repeat what has already been done by the joint investigation report of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights into alleged human rights violations.  

The findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was submitted to the Human Right Council in Geneva and the Council also endorsed it unanimously without any reservation as well as without any precondition.

The recommendation of the JIT was finally submitted to the Government of Ethiopia to conduct a criminal investigation and ensure accountability, he stated.

The government accordingly established the Inter-Ministerial Task Force tasked with the implementation of the recommendations by the joint investigation team.

So all the investigations have been done by the JIT in a very full-flagged way, the ambassador pointed out.

The establishment of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia was therefore politically motivated.

Following the release of the ICHREE report, the Government of Ethiopia has submitted a list of 100 main observations on the draft report and sent it to the President of the Human Rights Council to be distributed to members of the Council.

Questioning the motive of the European Union when they called a special session and tabled their resolution to establish ICHREE, the Permanent Representative said they were not satisfied by the well-done investigation of the JIT.

The ambassador hinted that the Western powers were concocting to suggest genocide and use  humanitarian aid as instrument of war in the joint instigation.

 “They were expecting these to appear in the report of JIT. However, the joint investigation meticulously investigated the situation and clearly indicated to the Human Rights Council here in Geneva that there was no sufficient evidence that shows genocide and humanitarian aid as instrument of war.”

Even though Ethiopia engaged ICHREE in Geneva once  and invited them to Addis Ababa to get in touch with stakeholders and  authorities in Ethiopia, the ambassador indicated that they finally failed to agree on the modalities of engagement.

“So we didn’t allow them in. As a result, they came up with a report which does not have any methodology, any standard of investigation, evidence collection and analysis, and arriving at the conclusion.”

All in all, Ambassador Zenebe said this international commission report has to incriminate the Government of Ethiopia by going silent and taking easy atrocities that have already been committed by the TPLF in Amhara and Afar regions.

 Therefore, the politically motivated result will never bear fruit, he underlined.  

 The ambassador finally called on the international community to act based on principles, international rules and stop meddling into the internal affairs of Ethiopia.

 The international community should stop undue pressure against Ethiopia, supporting the TPLF and stand by the Government of Ethiopia. “This government is a legitimate fully supported and elected by the people.”

 Since TPLF is a terrorist group, the ambassador warned those countries to stop helping the group and support the peace alternative by the Ethiopian government.