EXCLUSIVE: The WHO’s Disrespect Of Ethiopia’s Envoy Must Be Condemned

Dr. Tedro’s apparent “untouchability” means that certain elites have an interest in protecting him. This adds further credence to the suspicions of his many critics that he wasn’t carrying out his misconduct unilaterally and independently, but as part of a coordinated Hybrid War campaign to destabilize his homeland.

By Andrew Korybko

—  American political analyst

WHO Executive Board chair Patrick Amoth started a hybrid meeting of the body by declaring that it had “set aside” Ethiopia’s request to investigate Dr. Tedros for misconduct and then twice stopped its Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Zenebe Kebede Korcho from criticizing the Director-General prior to outright cutting him off. Addis Ababa had formally accused Dr. Tedros of misconduct earlier this month for supporting the terrorist-designated TPLF. His actions arguably violated the WHO’s code of conduct yet the body is obviously covering for him despite it being in its best interests to at least take up the investigation to avoid allegations of partisan politics, not to mention saving the WHO’s reputation.

This blatant disrespect of the Ethiopian envoy sends a chilling message to the rest of the world. First, despite Amoth himself being a fellow East African from Kenya, he evidently has no sympathy for Ethiopia’s legitimate request. This suggests that he’s more interested in “circling the wagons” around Dr. Tedros as a defensive tactic than in neutrally investigating that neighboring country’s allegations about one of its own citizens. The perception is that the WHO’s corruption goes even further beyond Dr. Tedros and encompasses its Executive Board if that body’s own chair won’t respect the Ethiopian envoy’s sovereign right to discuss this very serious issue.

Second, Dr. Tedro’s apparent “untouchability” means that certain elites have an interest in protecting him. This adds further credence to the suspicions of his many critics that he wasn’t carrying out his misconduct unilaterally and independently, but as part of a coordinated Hybrid War campaign to destabilize his homeland. It’s difficult to seriously countenance any other explanation after witnessing how defensive Amoth got and the desperate lengths he went to silence Ambassador Korcho. By doing so, Amoth inadvertently contributed to Dr. Tedros’ discrediting of this previously respected global body. Behaving in such a partisan manner will only make more people distrust the WHO.

And third, the optics of the WHO’s Executive Board chair ultimately cutting off Ethiopia’s envoy uncomfortably suggest elitism on the part of that organization even in spite of its offending representative being from Kenya. As was mentioned in the first point, Amoth’s nationality doesn’t mean that he’s automatically sympathetic to legitimate concerns from the region since he clearly sympathizes more with his own professional interests than principled ones. Growing awareness of this scandal will contribute to other countries and their people distrusting the WHO and perhaps other branches of the UN as well, if not that organization in its entirety. It was counterproductive from an image standpoint.

It’s for these reasons why the WHO’s disrespect of Ethiopia’s envoy must be condemned, though considering the international politics at play, that probably won’t happen at an official level from any other country. Rather, this call for condemnation might spread like wildfire through the global #NoMore movement against all forms of imperialism and injustice. Dr. Tedros is functioning as the TPLF’s highest-profile representative in the world, whitewashing its terrorist crimes and even spreading fake news to mislead the world into considering it a victim. The impunity that the WHO gives him in spite of documented evidence of his misconduct is an example of neo-imperialism and injustice against Ethiopia.