Ethiopia to expel seven UN staff for ‘meddling’

They flagged crisis situation in country

Ethiopia said on Thursday it would expel seven senior UN officials for “meddling” in its affairs, a move that came after aid workers sounded the alarm on humanitarian access to conflict-torn Tigray.

The foreign ministry said it had “declared a ‘persona non grata’ for seven individuals who are working for various international NGOs in Ethiopia for meddling in the internal affairs of the country”.

“According to the letters addressed to each of the 7 individuals listed below, all of them must leave the territory of Ethiopia within the next 72 hours,” it said on its Facebook page.

The statement named seven officials working for various UN agencies.

Ethiopia's northern-most region of Tigray has been mired in conflict since November.

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The United Nations has previously estimated that 4,00,000 people face famine-like conditions there, and fears are growing of deaths from starvation.

The UN has said the region remains under a de-facto blockade and warned of a “looming catastrophe” as fighting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has spread to neighbouring areas.