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Addis Ababa, April 03, 2021 – Pekka Haavisto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland and EU envoy to Ethiopia by mandate of the High Representative of the bloc, Josep Borrell, addresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates “to discuss regional issues and the situation in Tigray, ”the EU said in a statement.
After his trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister Haavisto will travel to Ethiopia on his second mission as an EU envoy, where he will “discuss the situation in Ethiopia, in particular the crisis in Tigray and its regional implications,” said the release.
“During his visit, Haavisto will meet with the Ethiopian authorities and convey to them the constant concern of the EU regarding the humanitarian situation in Tigray, calling on all parties to end hostilities and respect international humanitarian and human rights law. refugee international, as well as to allow investigations into alleged human rights abuses. “
It will also “recall that Eritrean forces will withdraw from Tigray” and “will consult with the African Union to exchange views on the situation in Ethiopia, as well as on regional issues.
At the end of his trip, FM Haavisto will speak with the EU Foreign Ministers during the next Foreign Affairs Council this month.
On March 23, when announcing the envoy’s second mission, Josep Borrell said that the bloc was “ready to activate all our foreign policy tools against those responsible for human rights violations,” in relation to the ongoing armed conflict in the regional state of Tigray, and that “this applies to all parties to the conflict.”
His trip comes a day after the G7 Foreign Ministers called for “an end to violence” in Tigray and the “establishment of a clear and inclusive political process that is acceptable to all Ethiopians, including those from Tigray, and that it leads to credible elections and a process of national reconciliation. “
Ethiopian government faces increasing international pressure
following the publication on 2 April of two reports by the BBC and CNN suggesting the participation of members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) in a massacre of a group of unarmed youth in Mahibere Dego, in the center of Tigray . The two news organizations said they have analyzed a video clip that emerged in early March showing the mass execussion of the men, thus confirming that they were members of ENDF.
It should be recalled that during his first mission to Ethiopia as an EU envoy, the Finnish Foreign Minister accused the federal government of “denying” the depth of the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, which he said was “out of control”.
In response, Ambassador Hirut Zemene, Ethiopia’s envoy to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU institutions, said the envoy’s comments were “regrettable” and did not “reflect the reality on the ground and contain unsubstantiated claims.” Ambassador Hirut also accused Haavisto of showing “no interest in traveling to the region, but instead resorted to visiting the refugee camp in neighboring Sudan and extrapolating grossly inappropriate information to provide unsubstantiated claims that put unnecessary pressure on the government of Ethiopia”. WHAT
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