UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� The United Nations informed Ethiopia on Friday that it has no legal right to expel seven U.N. officials whom it accused of 鈥渕eddling鈥� in the country鈥檚 affairs.
Ethiopia announced the expulsions on Thursday, giving the seven officials 72 hours to leave, as pressure grows on the government over its deadly blockade of the Tigray region where children are reportedly starving to death.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said a diplomatic note sent to Ethiopia鈥檚 U.N. Mission and conveyed to Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed during a phone call with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday stated the U.N.鈥檚 鈥渓ongstanding legal position鈥� that the doctrine of declaring someone 鈥減ersona non grata鈥� -- or unwelcome -- does not apply to U.N. personnel.
鈥淭he application of this doctrine to United Nations officials is contrary to obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the privileges and immunities to be afforded to the United Nations and its officials,鈥� he said.
The doctrine of declaring someone persona non grata applies between states, Haq said. 鈥淲e are not a state.鈥�
When issues are raised regarding U.N. personnel, Haq said, 鈥渢he requirement is that such concerns are appropriately conveyed to the organization.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 then for the secretary-general to make the necessary determinations and take the necessary steps to address the matter,鈥� the spokesman said.
Haq didn鈥檛 answer directly when asked whether this means the U.N. officials will remain in Ethiopia, and not leave within 72 hours. He reiterated that declaring someone persona non grata applies between countries, and the United Nations is a global organization with 193 member nations.
Abiy鈥檚 spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.N.鈥榮 diplomatic note and the prime minister's phone call to the secretary-general.
Secretary-General Guterres said Thursday he was 鈥渟hocked鈥� by the Ethiopian announcement and expressed 鈥渇ull confidence鈥� in U.N. staff, saying they are guided by impartiality and neutrality. In a statement, he said the U.N. was engaging with Ethiopia鈥檚 government 鈥渋n the expectation that the concerned U.N. staff will be allowed to continue their important work.鈥�
Ethiopia鈥檚 government has accused humanitarian workers of supporting the Tigray forces who have been fighting its soldiers and allied forces since November. Aid workers have denied it. Thousands of people have died in the conflict marked by gang rapes, mass expulsions and the destruction of health centers, with witnesses often blaming Ethiopian soldiers and those of neighboring Eritrea.
The U.N.鈥檚 humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, this week told The Associated Press that the crisis in Ethiopia is a 鈥渟tain on our conscience鈥� as children and others starve to death in Tigray under what the U.N. calls a de facto government blockade. Just 10% of needed humanitarian supplies have been reaching Tigray in recent weeks, he said.
The remarks were one of the sharpest criticisms so far of the world鈥檚 worst hunger crisis in a decade, with some 400,000 people facing famine conditions. Memories of the 1980s famine in Ethiopia, which killed around 1 million people and produced images that shocked the world, are vivid in his mind, Griffiths said, 鈥渁nd we fervently hope (this) is not happening at present.鈥�
The AP, citing witness accounts and internal documents, last week reported the first starvation deaths since Ethiopia鈥檚 government imposed the blockade in June in an attempt to keep support from reaching Tigray forces.
In a new statement Friday, Ethiopia鈥檚 foreign ministry said 鈥渨e have sadly observed that some U.N. staff have failed to fulfill their mission independently and impartially.鈥�
It listed the 鈥済rave violations鈥� as alleged diversion of humanitarian assistance to the Tigray forces, violating security agreements, transferring communications equipment to be used by Tigray forces, 鈥渄issemination of misinformation and politicization of humanitarian assistance鈥� and 鈥渞eticence鈥� in pressing for the return of trucks used in aid deliveries.
Ethiopia鈥檚 government alleges the trucks are commandeered by Tigray forces; humanitarian workers have said instead that truck drivers fear further intimidation upon leaving Tigray and that there is little fuel.
鈥淲e are confident that the provision of humanitarian assistance will not be affected鈥� by the expulsions, the statement said, adding that Ethiopia will continue to cooperate with the U.N. and its agencies 鈥減rovided that their activities do not undermine the sovereignty of Ethiopia and pose a threat to its national security interests.鈥�
Haq said the secretary-general also sent a letter to the Security Council informing the U.N.鈥檚 most powerful body of the situation in Ethiopia and the developments regarding U.N. staff.
The council had already scheduled closed-door consultations late Friday morning on the expulsion order.
鈥斺赌�-
Associated Press writer Cara Anna contributed to this report from Nairobi.
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
