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WORLD NEWS Thursday 10 december 2020
U.N.: Ethiopia's conflict has 'appalling impact on civilians'

By CARA ANNA er colonized, a source of
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — deep national pride.
Ethiopia's situation is "spiral- The government on Tues-
ing out of control with ap- day said its forces had shot
palling impact on civilians" at and detained U.N. staff-
and urgently needs outside ers who allegedly broke
monitoring, the United Na- through checkpoints while
tions human rights chief trying to reach areas where
warned Wednesday, but "they were not supposed to
Ethiopia rejects calls for in- go."
dependent investigations The incident "is really costly"
into the deadly fighting in because it further delays
its Tigray region, saying it humanitarian operations
"doesn't need a baby-sit- for people in Tigray who
ter." have been waiting five
The government's declara- weeks for aid, U.N. humani-
tion came amid interna- tarian spokesman Saviano
tional calls for more trans- Abreu told The Associated
parency into the month- Press.
long fighting between Ethi- He said the six-member
opian forces and those of U.N. team, which was de-
the fugitive Tigray regional tained in Humera and re-
government that is thought leased two days later, was
to have killed thousands, Tigray refugees who fled a conflict in the Ethiopia's Tigray region, wait to register their names for the first sent into Tigray and
including civilians. At least a convoy to transfer them to Umm Rakouba refugee camp, in Village 8, near the Lugdi border was carrying out security
one large-scale massacre crossing, eastern Sudan, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. assessments along roads
has been documented by Associated Press that had been previously
human rights groups, and agreed upon with Ethio-
others are feared. the warring side's claims. the situation "exceedingly However, she said, "we pia's government. Such as-
Senior government official It also hides the extent of worrying and volatile" with have been unable to ac- sessments are crucial be-
Redwan Hussein told re- atrocities feared to have fighting reported to con- cess the worst affected ar- fore aid can be moved in.
porters on Tuesday evening been committed since tinue in areas surrounding eas." "Now we have to work out
that Ethiopia will invite as- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Tigray capital, Mekele, Ethiopia's government ob- additional operational de-
sistance only if it feels that on Nov. 4 announced that and the towns of Sheraro jects to what it calls "inter- tails with the government,"
"it failed to investigate." To fighting had begun with and Axum, "in spite of gov- ference," from efforts at especially on security,
assume it can't carry out the Tigray People's Libera- ernment claims to the con- dialogue to delivering aid, Abreu said, repeating the
such probes "is belittling the tion Front, which dominat- trary." drawing on its history as the U.N.'s call for unfettered,
government," he said. ed Ethiopia's government "We have corroborated in- rare African country nev- unconditional access.q
Frustration is growing as the for nearly three decades formation of gross human
northern Tigray region re- before he came to power rights violations and abuses
mains largely cut off from and sidelined it. including indiscriminate
the world, with food and Each government now re- attacks against civilians
medicines desperately gards the other as illegal, and civilian objects, loot-
needed by the population as the TPLF objects to the ing, abductions and sexual
of 6 million — some 1 mil- postponement of national violence against women
lion now thought to be dis- elections until next year and girls," Bachelet told
placed. because of the COVID-19 reporters. "There are re-
The lack of transparency, pandemic and sees Abiy's ports of forced recruitment
with most communications mandate as expired. of Tigrayan youth to fight
and transport links severed, U.N. human rights chief against their own commu-
complicates efforts to verify Michelle Bachelet called nities."
Mexico asks U.S. to extradite country's

former security chief

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- country, and bristled over fight against organized
ico confirmed Monday it the recent arrest of the crime. He was arrested in
has asked the United States country's former defense December in Texas and
to extradite former security secretary, who the U.S. lat- pleaded not guilty last
chief Genaro García Luna, er turned over to Mexico. month to drug trafficking
who currently faces trial in Mexico's Attorney Gener- charges, including a new
the U.S. for allegedly pro- al's Office issued an arrest one of engaging in a con-
tecting a drug gang. warrant for García Luna in tinuing criminal enterprise.
The Foreign Relations De- November on charges of il- U.S. prosecutors accuse
partment said the request legal enrichment. him of accepting tens of
had been formally made, García Luna served as se- millions of dollars in bribes
but offered no further de- curity chief under former — often stuffed in briefcas-
tails. Mexico has said in the President Felipe Calderón es full of cash — to shield
past that it prefers Mexican from 2006 to 2012 as the the Sinaloa cartel from law
officials be tried in their own leader in the government's enforcement. q