Addis Abeba, December 20/2021 -The UN Security Council members will discuss the situation in Ethiopia under “any other business” today. The meeting was requested by Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK and the US. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths is expected to brief.
Today’s meeting takes place against the backdrop of continued fighting in northern Ethiopia. The conflict entered its second year in November. In late October, the Tigrayan forces and their allies had taken control of Dessie and Kombolcha—two towns in the Amhara region located on the road which connects Addis Abeba to the Tigrayan capital Mekelle—marking a significant shift in the battlefield. The Tigrayan forces’ rapid advance towards Addis Abeba prompted several countries—including France, the UK and the US—to urge their nationals in Ethiopia to leave the country promptly.
