Seven high-ranking UN officials who were expelled from Ethiopia by its government last week are no longer in the country due to fears over their safety, UN spokesman Farhan Haq announced on Monday.
The UN maintained its position that Ethiopia’s decision to expel the officials was not valid, but the workers were “moved from the country to ensure their safety”, Mr Haq said.
“None of the seven UN staff named by the Ethiopian government is in the country at present,” Mr Haq said in New York.
Addis Ababa on Thursday accused seven UN staffers of “meddling” in Ethiopian affairs, declared them “personae non grata” and gave them 72 hours to leave the country.
Mr Haq said the classification of persona non grata would apply only to foreign diplomats and not UN officials. The seven employees remained “fit for the job” and should be allowed back into the landlocked African nation, he said.
“We believe that they need to be able to go about their work, including having access to the country as needed,” said Mr Haq.
The row over the expelled UN officials comes as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was on Monday sworn in for a second five-year term at a ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa.
He began his new term amid an 11-month conflict between the government and rebels in the northern Tigray region, who have since pushed into neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions.
Tens of thousands have been killed in the conflict and hundreds of thousands face famine-like conditions.
The prime minister, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner for embracing political reforms and restoring ties with Eritrea, also faces other major challenges including ethnic violence and a worsening human rights situation.
US President Joe Biden, who is considering a genocide determination for the region, was asked by a reporter about the situation in Ethiopia on Monday but he declined to comment, saying he did not want to “confuse the American people”.
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Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
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Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
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What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
