UN says 'irresponsible' leaders calls for arms, hate speech heading Ethiopia to genocide

Lambasting the "irresponsible" leaders over their calls for arms and aggressive hate speech in Ethiopia, the United Nations special adviser on genocide prevention, Alice Wairimu Nderitu on Friday, 26 November, said their remarks are putting the country at the "brink of genocide", as per news agency Xinhua. This statement comes weeks after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged civilians of the nation to pick up arms in order to stop rebel militants from further advancing. As per a BBC report, Prime Minister had made the announcement on Facebook after insurgents from Tigray's northern region apparently took control over other towns in Amhara.  

Nderitu has voiced raised concerns over Ethiopia's ongoing deteriorating condition which it said can lead to a humanitarian disaster. Apart from irresponsible leaders' hate speeches, the UN special adviser, asserted the militarisation of society, racial or ethnic profiling, humanitarian access restrictions as well as the access blockade of food to regions under conflict and the mishandling of medical supplies, are posing a great risk for the people of Ethiopia. The official further went on to say that the officials who "are spiraling the country down to a path where the risk of commission of atrocity crimes, including genocide, is real and must be addressed as a matter of utmost urgency," Xinhua reported. 

UN urges international stakeholders to ramp up their participation to avoid grave danger

Furthermore, to avoid slipping into grave danger, the special adviser urged the regional and international stakeholders to ramp up their participation to restore peace in the region. She even highlighted the fact that international human rights and humanitarian laws hold the conflicting parties accountable towards the residents of the nation, region, as well as globe. Nderitu believes that even though nothing can bring back the lives of those who have died, she claimed it is still possible to avert more suffering and stop the violence by engaging in meaningful and productive discussion. 

"Regional and international actors have provided leaders in Ethiopia with tools and mechanisms to conduct such dialogue,” Xinhua quoted Alice Wairimu Nderitu as saying. She further noted that it has become more important than ever that the Ethiopian leaders display genuine leadership by adopting required measures to stop the violence, both in words and in deeds. 

9.4 mln people ‘living their worst nightmare’ in northern Ethiopia due to ongoing conflict: WFP

According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the number of individuals who need humanitarian food aid in northern Ethiopia has increased due to the ongoing violence. The agency's spokesman, Tomson Phiri, told media in Geneva that 9.4 million people are suffering due to conflict in the region. 

Over 80% of the individuals who require humanitarian aid in northern Ethiopia are "behind battle lines," as per a UN report. The Amhara area has seen the highest increase in population, with 3.7 million citizens now in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Malnourishment rates for children were found to be between 16% and 28% in all three areas of Northern Ethiopia. Further, in Amhara and Tigray, nearly 50% of pregnant and nursing women have been found to be undernourished. 

(Image: UN.ORG/ AP)