Tommy Thompson, the U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) emergency coordinator, has left Ethiopia and “moved to another country” after being accused of having violated the UN’s humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality, it emerged. A spokesman for the WFP admitted the official has indeed left the country but said it was a temporary relocation based on the UN’s regular transfer and reassignment procedure.
Following the withdrawal of the Ethiopian Defense Forces from Mekelle by end of June, a picture of the UN official standing alongside Getachew Reda, a senior member of the TPLF, who was talking on a satellite phone, surfaced on social media, causing a wave of criticism on the UN staff who allegedly abused the impartiality of his positions, by supporting the rebels. The photo went viral and many took it as proof of the UN body that they said was political and biased.
Regarding the departure of the official and precise reason as to why he had left the country, WFP said in a statement, “the staff had left the country in accordance with the agency’s normal staffing process and would return in the future. “We have learned that there was lots of misinformation on social media about the reason for his departure from Ethiopia. These reports are simply baseless,” the WFP said in an email to the BBC Amharic.
The BBC said it did not get clarification from the WFP about the context in which the photo was taken. The Ethiopian government has not yet commented on the matter.
Goodbye and good riddance, Mr Tommy Thompson. Ethiopians are pretty much aware of what are you up to. He would be much better off in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan!!!
We knew america is miserable country who loves creating misery all over the world.this country never ever cared for anyone except,her own political agenda.u,better stay away from us!!!
The UN and other western institutions might have developed sentimental or other attachments to TPLF but it is hard to say that they only have created the agony on Abiy by themselves. In the end, Abiy is his own worst enemy. He has no idea how to turn around a complex country into one with peace and stability.
Tiruye, I hope you are not suggesting Tplf had any “idea how to turn around a complex country into one with peace and stability.”
Abiy is a loser. The TPLFts are winning their way out. They are ahead of the game. They know how to turn international opinion in their favour. They put genocide, rape, blockage of aid on the table, and they managed the world to rally behind them. It is true they have no massive support outside of Tigray. But the Ethiopian peasants are not going to stop them with their Kalashnikov. The federal army has proved ineffective and inefficncent.
Wow. Fidel, may I suggest you complete counting fidel first and not try to be a smart aleck?