the Representatives of the Cuban government before the United Nations General Assembly voted to block a UN probe War crimes in Ukraine and in other recent armed conflicts.
Cuban diplomats supported a Resolution submitted by Ethiopia to try to disappoint this initiative, but his proposal was only defeated 27 votes in favour, 66 against and 29 abstentionsaccording to a report by the EFE news agency.
In addition to Cuba, the Ethiopian government had the support of Russia, China and several African countrieswhile the European Union (EU) nations, the United States and most Latin American countries opposed it.
The investigation now focuses on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has been funded by the EU since December 2021 and another of their focal points are the possible war crimes and crimes against humanity that were committed in the Conflict between Ethiopian authorities and separatist militias in Tigray region.
The delegation from that country argued that the United Nations initiative has political motives and colonialist prejudices, which is why it poses a threat to national sovereignty. However, the countries of the European Union and the United States asserted that a commission responsible only for administrative and budgetary matters could not act against the will of the Human Rights Council.
Various non-governmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) They celebrated the failure of the resolution and criticized the role of Cuba, Russia and China in supporting this intention to limit investigations into crimes against humanity.
Louis CharbonneauHRW representative at the United Nations, said on his Twitter account that “UN countries today sent a clear message to Ethiopia that its brazen attempt to avoid accountability for war crimes and other abuses has left Ethiopia without funds for the leaving behind the UN human rights inquiry is unacceptable.”
the The Tigre conflict has caused the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of more than two million. This war broke out in 2020 when the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abey Ahmedordered an attack on the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (FPLT) following an escalation of political tensions and the attack on a federal military base.
On March 30, the UN Human Rights Council Establishment of a commission to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraineafter the Russian government was accused indiscriminate bombing of civilians. The independent group, led by Norwegian Erik Mose, will closely monitor everything related to rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law.
the The Cuban and Venezuelan governments abstained at the United Nations to promote the establishment of this expert group. Only Russia and Ethiopia opposed the measure, which eventually passed by a majority of 32 votes in favour.
Relations between the Caribbean island and the African country go back to the involvement of the Castro army in the Ogaden conflict between Ethiopia, Somalia and the Western Somali Liberation Front (FLSN) in 1977.
The pretext used by Fidel Castro to justify this military intervention, which claimed the lives of numerous Cuban soldiers, was that the Somali military intervention posed a threat to the occupied country.
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