UN Security Council meeting on Ethiopia's Tigray operation cancelled; A diplomatic success for PM Abiy's administration

Addis Ababa, November 24, - The UN Security Council was due to hold talks today on the current law enforcement operation of the Ethiopian federal government on the TPLF rebel group. Nevertheless, the meeting was cancelled, according to reports from AFP.

Although, the Ethiopian government repeatedly expressed that the actions being taken by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) is to maintain law and order, the international community is being led to believe that the Ethiopian government is targeting Tigrayans instead of looking at the atrocities being committed by the TPLF group.

China leans towards Ethiopia

Nevertheless, China, a permanent member of the UN security council with a powers to veto any "substantive" resolution, was celebrating its 50th Diplomatic Anniversary with Ethiopia today, November 24, 2020. China's and Ethiopia's diplomatic relations began on November 24, 1970. President Xi Jinping to President Sahle-Work Zewde said "over the past half-century, China-Ethiopia friendship has withstood the test of time and grown even stronger". "Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, China and Ethiopia have been committed to solidarity and mutual assistance, setting an exemplary role for the anti-pandemic cooperation between China and Africa", President Xi Jinping added. It is also possible that China has found a similar experience with Ethiopia due to its current law enforcement operations in Hong Kong.

The timing of this anniversary can never be more perfect for Ethiopia who is desperately in need of international support to dismantle the rebel group TPLF responsible for many killings of innocent civilians in the country especially the November 09, 2020, Mai Kadra massacre as confirmed by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Russia affirms full support to Ethiopia

Furthermore, another reason why the UN Security Council meeting on Ethiopia was cancelled because Russia, another permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto powers, expressed to Ethiopia yesterday that "Russia will stand with Ethiopia in any circumstances". During a meeting between Ethiopia's Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Permanent Committee and Russia's Friendship Group, the Russian delegate expressed to the Ethiopian officials that their friendship will stand the test of time.

Ambassador Evgeniy Terekhin said that Ethiopia and Russia have a long history of collaboration and partnership.

Head of the Ethiopian permanent committee on Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs, Dr. Negere Lencho, affirmed Ethiopia's interest to strengthen their partnership. He also assured the Russian delegate that Ethiopia is conducting a law enforcement operation in Tigray and that the operation will end soon.

It, therefore, plausible that China and Russia were the main force behind the cancelling of the UN Security Council meeting on Ethiopia. For Ethiopia and for PM Abiy's administration, this is a diplomatic success.