Geneva: The UN Rights Board on Tuesday approved a resolution that expressed deep concerns about violations in the northern region of Ethiopia in Tigray and called for a quick withdrawal of the Eritrean forces which were said to “worsen conflict”.
Clashes erupted in Tigray eight months ago between the central government forces and the ruling party in the region, The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The conflict has forced nearly 2 million people to escape from their homes and drive around 400,000 people into hunger.
“What happened in the Tigray area in Ethiopia is terrible,” said Ambassador Lotte Knudsen, the head of the European Union’s delegation to the United Nations in Geneva carrying the resolution.
“It is very important for the human rights council to be able to overcome this situation.” EU text passes sound with 20 supporting countries, 14 against and 13 Abstains.
Eritrea board members voted on resolution.
The withdrawal of Eritrean troops, who was originally rejected the country was there, was also the main demand for Tigrayan leaders for the talks of the ceasefire.
Eritrea denied violations of rights.
The Ethiopian delegation, which is currently not one of 47 board members, said he firmly rejected the resolution.
“This resolution is a disgusted performance for a joint investigation that is ongoing with the intention of influencing its conclusion,” said the Ambassador of Mahlet Hailu Guadey, referring to an investigation by the Government’s Ethiopian Human Rights Commission with the United Nations about violations of nation.
More than a dozen amendments carried by China, Venezuela and Eritrea – including the important ones that will eliminate references to Eritrean forces – all rejected by the council in a separate voice.
The Chinese delegation Jiang Duan, who chose to oppose the EU resolution, told the council that the resolution had a “big disability” and would “more complicate” the situation in Tigray.