Ethiopia has announced plan to shut down more than 30 diplomatic missions across the world.
Addressing the national parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the closure of the diplomatic missions has something to do with cutting government spending.
He also hinted about elevating the diplomatic mission works – an indication that political appointees to diplomatic positions will not have future in the same post.
Ethiopia has over 60 diplomatic missions the world over. It is to be implemented after September 2021 when the new government is sworn in. No indication is given as to which ones will be closed when it is implemented.
Ethiopians on social media are calling for the closure of the Ethiopian Embassy in Ireland.
As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Ireland initiated several discussions with an apparent objective to put diplomatic and political pressure on Ethiopia in connection with the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
There had been claims of genocide and famine in the region. The Ethiopian government rejected the claims of genocide and faciliated for an investigation into the claim by humanitarian groups. In terms of humanitarian aid, the Ethiopian government spent over 100 billion Ethiopian birr ( about US$ 2.5 billion) in a span of eight months – according to information from relevant government bodies.
Apart from Ireland, the man at the top of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Mr. Haavisto, has been leading what many Ethiopians call a campaign against Ethiopia.
During a hearing in the European Union sometime last month, he claimed that Ethiopian authorities have told him, when he was visiting Ethiopia as European Union special envoy, that they will “wipe out” Tigreans – a claim that triggered outrage among Ethiopians.
MG/abj/APA