Ethiopian forces fire at UN aid workers seeking access into troubled Tigray region

The government of Ethiopia has admitted that it fired at a team of United Nations aid workers in the conflict-hit Tigray region and later detained them, blaming the aid workers for trying to reach areas where “they were not supposed to go.”

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesman for the Ethiopian government’s task force for Tigray; Redwan Hussein who reiterated urgent calls for immediate access to the northern region, warning of an “increasingly critical” situation for those in need of food.

According to the spokesman for the Ethiopian government’s task force for Tigray, the UN staffers “broke” two checkpoints and were trying to go through a third when they were fired upon.

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However, the spokesman for the Ethiopian government’s task force said the UN staffers have since been released.

While reacting to the incident, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said there were four people in the convoy.

“They were trying to kind of do an assessment of roads before they were arrested Ethiopian security operatives. Obviously, assessment of roads needs to be done before a larger UN aid convoy goes in.”

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