The government of Ethiopia has slammed reports suggesting the recruitment of its citizens to fight on the side of Russia in its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
In a statement it welcomed clarifications by the embassy of the Russian Federation in Addis Ababa refuting reports of recruitment for the Russian Armed Forces.
The Russian embassy in Addis Ababa said it had received “e-mails and personal visits from Ethiopian citizens expressing their solidarity and support for the Russian Federation.”
“We see this as another manifestation of fraternal friendship and mutual support between the two peoples. We thank all Ethiopian friends for their kind words addressed to our country,” the embassy said on Facebook.
The remark came after hundreds of local men were spotted near the Russian embassy in the Ethiopian capital where they expressed interests to join the Russian army as soldiers.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the embassy has clarified that it has not been accepting any applications for recruitment and that it abides by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“The government of Ethiopia agrees with the Embassy that any such recruitment would have violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as it would have been contrary to the functions of a diplomatic mission,” said the ministry in a statement.
“It would have also violated this convention with respect to the obligation of diplomatic missions to respect the laws and regulations of the host State, as any such recruitment by any Embassy or enlistment of any Ethiopian would have violated Ethiopian law,” it said.
MG/as/APA