Topic:
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Emily Preston
Country: United Kingdom
Committee: Security Council
Topic: The Tigray Situation
Delegate: Emily Preston
School: Williamston High School
As it currently stands; the situation in Ethiopia is tense, dangerous and incredibly time sensitive. As of November 23, 2021, several countries have urged their citizens to leave the country in fear of their lives being lost. This conflict has stemmed from a 27 year disagreement between Prime Minister Abiy and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) over postponed and “shady” elections in Tigray. While this conflict seemed to come to a conclusion in 2018, war broke out 12 months ago when Tigrayan forces were accused of attacking army bases to steal weapons and the government retaliated against them. With the prime minister currently threatening to mobilize troops against the TPLF as early as the morning of November 24, 2021, hundreds of thousands of civilians facing a famine in the north, and millions being forced from their homes; the United Nations Security Council must act as quickly as possible to keep blood from being spilt.
The UK has always striven to keep a diplomatic relationship with the Ethiopian government, no matter the situation. We have had an open line of communication about several issues; such as politics, commercial standards, security and economics. Due to the instability of Ethiopia, the UK has recently had to issue a statement to our citizens, telling them to evacuate as soon as possible. We have made several statements on our position on this matter, such as an announcement made on November 8th where James Kariuki stated “The introduction of a State of Emergency by the Government of Ethiopia must not be used as an excuse to ignore human rights and international humanitarian law.” Along with a series of facts on how the Ethiopian government has abused the State of Emergency declaration to commit sexual violence, torture, and the killing of civilians; Kariuki also states that “All parties should act to implement the recommendations contained in that joint report, ensure accountability and prevent further suffering. Indeed addressing the humanitarian and human impact of this tragic conflict should be our immediate focus. And when it is over, we must come together and help Ethiopia heal.”
The UK delegation agrees completely with Kariuki’s statements, and is fully prepared to do what is necessary to end this conflict. Kariuki states that “… it is vital that all parties stop fighting and start talking. Tigrayan forces need to stop their advances and return to Tigray. The humanitarian blockade needs to be lifted. Hate speech and ethnic profiling must end: it serves only to set Ethiopian against Ethiopian and deepens divisions which will make recovery from this crisis even harder.” In order to stop the physical fighting, the UK highly recommends sending in peacekeeping troops on both sides of the conflict. Once the physical fight stops, we must start educating the general public on misinformation using any means necessary. There also must be a diplomatic buffer set up between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government to ensure that any type of interaction between them doesn’t go awry. The UK would recommend it be sourced from the UN, so that way all parties know that decisions arise from unbiased sources. As far as the famine, and humanitarian issues; the UK is prepared to work with NGOs and other countries to calculate a certain amount of aid; such as food, medical supplies, and safe drinking water to give to the Ethiopian people. Due to the amount of parties involved with the aid being given, the UK requests that the country who contributes the most aid shall oversee the material distribution. We as a Security Council must work fast. If we do not solve this issue quickly, it is arguable that the blood is on our hands.
