First of all, we would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the editor of the #EUobserver for publishing our letter titled ‘#Ethiopia right of reply’, dated 01 March 2021. In what would seem a response to our letter in reply, we have come across with an article issued on the EUobserver under the title “Ethiopia: Time to tell the truth, Ambassador” dated 09 March 2021.
This latest article we believe, need not be a response to our “letter to the editor” but could have been a stand-alone report of the media outlet on the latest developments in the #Tigray region of #Ethiopia. While the efforts made by the writer to bring in the opinions and arguments from different sides could be appreciated, but unfortunately, the writer attempts to support his points of view by quoting inappropriate information sources. Thus, the Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels would like to bring to light elements of the article that are framed in an overly sensational manner and bound to confuse and mislead the esteemed readership.
It is regrettable the writer has chosen defamatory language used across the article, such as “fog of lies”, “half-truths” and “government’s campaign of nonsense”, without verifying what is happening on the ground as the media professional standards would require.
The information sources mentioned to counter the statements made by the Government of Ethiopia tend not to be the relevant sources. For example, the writer dared to call the 3.5 million humanitarian assistance provided as one of the points of ‘gross fallacies’ and goes to refute this data by quoting anonymous sources.
In this regard, the latest report from the relevant government agency indicates that the humanitarian assistance distributed for several months exceeds 84, 000 metric tons, reaching 4.1 million people in the region. This is an achievement that speaks for itself as it has enabled to abate the imminent food supply shortage and helped to save the life of our compatriots in the Tigray region. All Ethiopians are united in helping our compatriots in Tigray and the effort will continue in collaboration with our international partners.
It is not clear to us why the article turns blind eyes about the positive developments that concern the Government of Ethiopia’s decision to provide unfettered access to humanitarian organizations. It is a verifiable fact that The Government of Ethiopia has taken measures for an independent investigation of alleged human rights violations and has also expressed its readiness to collaborate with relevant AU& UN agencies in this regard. It is not clear what motivated the writer to chose the defamatory language against Ethiopia without proof.
We would like to draw the attention of the writer to the evident truth that it is the sacred duty of the Government of Ethiopia to protect the territorial integrity of Ethiopia and the unity of its people. The Government of Ethiopia has the full sovereign power and duty for safeguarding rule of law within its borders and that is what the Government has been doing in its Tigray Region. Now the stabilization of the Tigray region of Ethiopia is underway; the humanitarian assistance is reaching more people than what we could in the immediate aftermath of the law enforcement operation. Many international partners are helping alongside our people. We will continue doing what is good for our people. And the progress can be verified on the ground.
Therefore, the Embassy appeals to the media outlet to promote objective journalism and civil conversation at the level that the situation merits.
Public Diplomacy Section
Embassy of Ethiopia, Brussels
