Ethiopia orders Norwegian diplomats to Leave
August 27, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia has ordered six Norwegian diplomats to leave the country by Sept. 15, expressing “dissatisfaction” with Norway’s conduct in the Horn of Africa region, the Norwegian foreign affairs minister said Monday.
“We are surprised and regret the Ethiopian authorities’ unilateral decision,” Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement posted on the ministry’s Web site.
Norway had urged Ethiopia to reconsider its decision, but Ethiopia had maintained its position and so six Norwegian diplomats would be leaving, the statement added.
“This sharp reduction in staffing means that we may not be able to maintain our development cooperation with Ethiopia at the current level,” Stoere added. “We regret the impact this will have on our partners.”
Junior foreign minister Raymond Johansen told AFP: “The Ethiopian decision was passed to us on August 15 in a totally unexpected manner.”
Ethiopia had accused Norway of trying to promote the interests of its enemy Eritrea in the course of its mediation work to bring about peace in the region, said Johansen.
In particular they raised Norway’s contacts with Eritrea in the course of its efforts to work end the conflicts in Somalia and Sudan, he added.
The Norwegian foreign ministry statement however said that the expulsion of the diplomats didn’t “imply” a break in diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
Norway’s embassy in Ethiopia is also responsible for relations with the African Union, which has its headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa is seen to be wary of Norway’s backing of Asmara, which supports some rebel groups in Somalia and Sudan. Oslo actively backed Asmara during its liberation struggle.
Somalia and Ethiopia allege that Eritrea is trying to destabilize the interim government in Somalia by arming insurgents who have staged some of the worst fighting in the capital Mogadishu in more than a decade.
Asmara denies the charge and in turn says Ethiopia is guilty of breaking international law by “invading” Somalia and interfering with the country’s right to chose its own leaders.
(AFP/AP)
Iwunatu Yiwuxa
Ethiopia orders Norwegian diplomats to Leave
The dicision of the TPLF/EPRDF on Norwegian diplomats clearly indicate that those countrties working for the stability of the Horrn of Africa is targeted by this tyrannical government. They diplomats so long as they support their evil deeds like what is the Bush adminstration and some other western countries are doing. The Bush adminstration is blindly supporting this minority TPLF government under the pretext of fighting terror in the Horn of africa when the TPLF government is also conducting state terrorism on the opposition political parties/organizations that didn’t accept its rule as democtratic and representative of the the different nationa and nationalities of this country. What the world should know is that the current Ethiopian rulers are only representing their own narrow cliques mainly coming form the Tigraians. This doesn’t mean that the whole the Tigraians are benefiting from what this Dictators are doing.
To Bring sustained opeace and stability in this Horn of African region, the abolition of this narrow nationalists of Tigray and bring toether all democratic forces to form one democratic government.
The Bush adminstartion is one the factors that support this tyrannical ruler and caused the emprisonment, torture, illegal killings, lootings, and corruption on the people of this poor country. The Bush adminstration knowingly support this governemnt for its own narrow benefit. I don’t thin that Eritrean should be blamed for what the TPLF is doing on the subject people. It is actually the chartacteristics of Ethiopian rulers to blame some others for the crimes and evil things they are doing on the people.
So, one shouldn’t be surprized by the actions of the TPLF and its blame of Eritrean government. Unable to solve the political problems of the country, it usually tends to blame others.
This is normal for the Abbysinians. So, Norway shouldn’t be surprized by this action.
Bye.