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The Security Council Security Council Situation Report 15 November 2021
Situation Report on Matters Pertaining to International Peace and Security
This update complements the background guide published in the AMUN Handbook. The situation in Ethiopia is a new topic, which was not included in the Handbook. Some background is provided at the beginning of this update, but representatives are encouraged to read through the linked sources for a fuller picture of the conflict.
The Situation in Ethiopia
Fighting began in the Tigray region of Ethiopia between government troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2020. The fighting has left thousands dead, and a United Nations investigation has found that all parties to the conflict, “committed violations of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization and an ethnic Tigrayan, told reporters that, “we cannot send supplies and medicines to Tigray because it is under blockade, and the blockade is systematic.” Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, reported that 9 United Nations staff are being detained by the Ethiopian government.
A spokesman for the Ethiopian government said that before it would agree to ceasefire negotiations, the TPLF would first have to end its attacks, recognize the legitimacy of the government, and withdraw from the territory it has occupied in the Amhara and Afar regions bordering Tigray. A spokesman for the TPLF said that a withdrawal before beginning ceasefire talks was “an absolute non-starter,” and demanded an end to the humanitarian blockade on Tigray.
On 12 November, the United States Treasury Department announced it was imposing sanctions on the military and ruling political party of neighboring Eritrea, which has deployed troops to Tigray to support the Ethiopian government.
Bibliography
- Mackintosh, Eliza. (3 November 2021) Rebels Threaten Ethiopian Capital as UN Slams Atrocities Committed in Tigray Conflict. CNN.
- Ethiopia Gov’t Outlines Terms for Possible Tigray Ceasefire Talks. (11 November 2021) Al Jazeera.
- Psaledakis, Daphne. (12 November 2021) U.S. Blacklists Eritrean Military Over Conflict in Ethiopia. Reuters.
- Walsh, Declan and Dahir, Abdi Latif. (9 November 2021) Why is Ethiopia at War With Itself? New York Times.
- WHO Chief Says His Home Region in Ethiopia Under ‘Systematic’ Blockade. (12 November 2021) Reuters.
- Why Is Ethiopia Detaining UN Aid Workers? (11 November 2021) NPR.
United Nations Documents
- United Nations Security Council. (2021) Security Council Press Statement on Ethiopia. SC/14691.
Situation Report on Matters Pertaining to International Peace and Security
This update complements the background guide published in the AMUN Handbook. The situation in Ethiopia is a new topic, which was not included in the Handbook. Some background is provided at the beginning of this update, but representatives are encouraged to read through the linked sources for a fuller picture of the conflict.
The Situation in Ethiopia
Fighting began in the Tigray region of Ethiopia between government troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2020. The fighting has left thousands dead, and a United Nations investigation has found that all parties to the conflict, “committed violations of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization and an ethnic Tigrayan, told reporters that, “we cannot send supplies and medicines to Tigray because it is under blockade, and the blockade is systematic.” Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, reported that 9 United Nations staff are being detained by the Ethiopian government.
A spokesman for the Ethiopian government said that before it would agree to ceasefire negotiations, the TPLF would first have to end its attacks, recognize the legitimacy of the government, and withdraw from the territory it has occupied in the Amhara and Afar regions bordering Tigray. A spokesman for the TPLF said that a withdrawal before beginning ceasefire talks was “an absolute non-starter,” and demanded an end to the humanitarian blockade on Tigray.
On 12 November, the United States Treasury Department announced it was imposing sanctions on the military and ruling political party of neighboring Eritrea, which has deployed troops to Tigray to support the Ethiopian government.
Bibliography
- Mackintosh, Eliza. (3 November 2021) Rebels Threaten Ethiopian Capital as UN Slams Atrocities Committed in Tigray Conflict. CNN.
- Ethiopia Gov’t Outlines Terms for Possible Tigray Ceasefire Talks. (11 November 2021) Al Jazeera.
- Psaledakis, Daphne. (12 November 2021) U.S. Blacklists Eritrean Military Over Conflict in Ethiopia. Reuters.
- Walsh, Declan and Dahir, Abdi Latif. (9 November 2021) Why is Ethiopia at War With Itself? New York Times.
- WHO Chief Says His Home Region in Ethiopia Under ‘Systematic’ Blockade. (12 November 2021) Reuters.
- Why Is Ethiopia Detaining UN Aid Workers? (11 November 2021) NPR.
United Nations Documents
- United Nations Security Council. (2021) Security Council Press Statement on Ethiopia. SC/14691.