No Systematic Arrest since State of Emergency Declared: State Minister Redwan Hussien

Addis Ababa November 12/2021 (ENA) There is no systematic arrest in Addis Ababa since the state of emergency declared by the government and no ethnic profiling, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Redwan Hussien said.

Redwan told Aljazeera that there is no systematic arrest since the state of emergency declared by the government while people might inform the police if they see something unusual and police might arrest an individual but not systematic or not targeted on one ethnic group.

Stating that the arrest will be from all walks of life if there is any kind of information tip to the police, Redwan stressed “There is no systematic arrest and there will no systematic arrest just because of your profile,” he affirmed.

Asked about the recent arrest of 16 UN staff , Redwan said “Because of we are in a conflict, a number of terrorist groups might have their own elements. So, police might have found some suspects and apprehend for further investigations”.

He assured that the UN staff are not arrested because of working for any UN institution.

The arrest is not because suspects are loading the humanitarian items and food to people in need. If that is so there are more than 800 tracks which are still held by the TPLF and now carrying combatants in Wollo and Afar fronts.

Regarding the potential of the conflict coming to the capital, the state minister responded “The conflict is not coming to the capital and it never came to the capital. But there is a concerted effort to concoct stories, to twist facts and to create hysteria to the people to resign from the government and also to disorient to the government from focusing on the problems”.

Citing that the conflict is going on hundreds of kilometers away from the capital, he said that was "very much hoax and that was very much concocted story which was being run by some of the international media including CNN, New York Times, Fox News, BBC and Reuters." 

So, that was a concerted and deliberated disinformation to create hysteria among the Ethiopian people and international community, he stated.