U.N. to block funding for Ethiopia independent abuse inquiry
Ethiopia failed at the United Nations on Thursday in its bid to block funding for an independent investigation into abuses in the country's conflict, garnering just 27 yes votes. In contrast, 66 countries opposed the move, and 39 countries abstained.
The vote was in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly's budget committee.
The budget committee then voted to approve funding for the inquiry established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva in December to collect evidence and identify those responsible for abuses, with a view to future prosecutions.
The U.N. Human Rights Council voted on Friday to establish an independent investigation into abuses in the Ethiopian conflict after a senior U.N. official said there had been violations on all sides and mass arrests under a government crackdown.
Ethiopia said it was "extremely disappointed" by the move and vowed not to cooperate, describing the mechanism as "politically motivated".
The resolution, brought by the European Union and backed by Western states, passed despite objections from Ethiopia. It dismissed accusations of abuses and said it had already cooperated in investigations into the year-old war.
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