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Ethiopia's National Dialogue is not about TPLF or OLA — State Minister Amb. Redwan Hussein

Ambassadors from different countries attending Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing [Picture: Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
 
ADDIS ABABA, DECEMBER 21, 2021 - In a briefing held today in Addis Ababa with Ambassadors from various countries, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, State Minister Political, Economic and Diplomacy, said that there will be an all-inclusive dialogue between political elites and the public. 
 
On ensuring lasting peace in Ethiopia, he detailed the proposed plans to have an all-inclusive dialogue with political elites and the public.
 
Ambassador Redwan Hussein, State Minister of Political, Economic and Diplomacy [Picture: Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

He said almost all contentious matters would be on the table during the dialogue, including fundamental national issues and Constitutional amendments.
 
But in a tweet later in the afternoon, he clarified his statement saying that the national dialogue is not about TPLF and OLA groups, which were designated as terrorist organization in May by the Ethiopian Parliament.

"Some people confuse national dialogue with negotiations. The national dialogue has been ongoing for more than a year now but now it will be strengthened through its own commission. It is not about TPLF or OLA", said Ambassador Redwan Hussein in a tweet.

Speaking on the latest battlefield gains, Ambassador Redwan said the TPLF is on the back foot following decisive blows to its soldiers, contrary to its misleading narrative of withdrawal of its troops from occupied areas out of its feigned commitment to peace.
 
However, he said, the government does not have an intention to pursue an all out military operation in Tigray in chasing the terrorist group in every villages and towns but it will make sure that the TPLF will not be able to wage an attack anymore.
 
The government of Ethiopia also maintains its rights to ensure the territorial integrity of the country and it will not foreclose its prerogative rights to station the federal forces in all parts of the country, including Tigray, he added.
 
He also said in the briefing that Ethiopia will not cooperate with the new mechanism that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) imposed on Ethiopia.
 
He said the decision undermines the principle of subsidiarity since Ethiopia is cooperating with relevant human rights mechanisms, besides having an effective human rights mechanism in the country.
 
"The decision unduly politicizes the Council; disregard Ethiopia’s commitment to take measures according to the recommendations put forward by the joint OHCHR-EHRC findings", he added.

Ambassador Redwan said that it would have been logical had the Council decided to launch a joint UN-EHRC investigation on human rights abuses perpetrated by the TPLF in the Amhara and Afar regions.
 
Ambassador Redwan also talked about the humanitarian aid process in northern Ethiopia, including the Tigray region.
 
He said that the government did everything to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Tigray but the TPLF’s intransigence and the international community’s reluctance to condemn its destructive acts dragged the humanitarian aid supply process.
 
The State Minister highlighted how the TPLF’s failure to reciprocate the Government’s declaration of the Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire last June and the international community’s reluctance to appreciate it has exacerbated all the problems that ensued thereafter.
 
Such foot-dragging, he said, had emboldened the TPLF to invade adjacent regions, massacre many, destroy infrastructure, and desecrate religious institutions, and gang rape women instigating public anger to put a strain on the humanitarian supply routes to Tigray. 
 
The continued silence of the international community over the more than 1010 hijacked aid trucks by the group should not be taken lightly since it has contributed a lot in limiting humanitarian aid reaches, he said.

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