Ethiopia prevented from delivering statement at UN agency meeting

ADDIS ABABA — The government of Ethiopia has said that it was denied opportunity to deliver a statement at a meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.

In a statement, the permanent mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations in Geneva said it regrets the decision.

“Ethiopia regrets that it was not allowed to deliver a statement on the 24th of January 2022 at the 150 session the Executive Board of the WHO. Such mistreatment against a member country is unacceptable,” the statement seen by Sudans Post reads in part.

The statement accused the WHO director Tedros Adhanom, an Ethiopian national, of standing behind the decision to deny Ethiopia of delivering its statement at the meeting.

“Dr. Tedros hails from Ethiopia. Ethiopia nominated him for the post of Director General of the WHO. It mobilised Africans and other friendly countries to support him. As soon as the conflict was triggered by the TPLF, he showed his true colours,” the statement said.

“He chose his political affiliation to TPLF over his country. In the process, he betrayed his oath of office as a Director General of the WHO,” the statement added.

The statement said that by denying Ethiopia to delivering its statement at the important meeting, the WHO chief “abused his office and the international nature of the Director General to advance TPLF’s propaganda.”

“In the process, he committed a flagrant misconduct on a routine basis. He violated the standard of conduct for international civil service and WHO’s Code of Ethics,” the statement added.

“He should have led by example. Instead, his interference in a member state of the WHO advocating for a party to a conflict constitutes a blatant misconduct.

“Ethiopia has submitted a formal complaint to the Executive Board of the WHO and is still awaiting the acknowledgement of the receipt of its complaint.

“In fact, on the first day of the Executive Board meeting Ethiopia was denied to explain this worrying situation.

“One thing should be clear. Ethiopia’s complaint does not refer to the work of WHO nor to the performance of the staff.

“It is directed to the misconduct of the Director General of WHO and the desecration at his professional and legal responsibility.”