“All ICRC activities in Ethiopia are conducted in strict accordance with the principles of independence and neutrality,” said Daniel Duvillard, ICRC’s head of operations for the Horn of Africa.
The rebels, who have been fighting the government for more than a decade, earlier accused Ethiopia of blockading aid to their region near the Somali border for nearly two months. Ethiopia announced a crackdown on the rebels in June, two months after the rebels attacked a Chinese-run oil exploration field, killing 74 people.
The U.N. World Food Program said this week that the military operations are hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid, but that the government is not blockading shipments.
“A suspension of ICRC activities will inevitably have a negative impact on the population concerned, whose access to basic services will be reduced,” Duvillard said. The Red Cross conducts water and sanitation projects in the east.
Rebels said the expulsion was designed to prevent the world from “witnessing the war crimes taking place against the civilian population of Ogaden at the hands of the Ethiopian regime.”
Jama Ahmed, vice president of the Somali region, said the ICRC must “recognize what they did wrong” before officials consider allowing it to continue work there.
Ethiopia’s human rights record has been the subject of widespread scrutiny in recent weeks.
Thirty-eight opposition members who were pardoned after international condemnation of their two-year case vowed this week to continue their “struggle for democracy.”
The defendants, who were held since 2005 in connection with deadly election protests, were pardoned just days after being sentenced to prison terms, including life. Prosecutors had been pushing for the death penalty.
“As political leaders, we have chosen to look forward to a bright future, because we believe that this approach will provide us a sound foundation for the success of our struggle for democracy,” the group said in an e-mail to the media.
In Washington last week, a House subcommittee completed work on legislation that decries Ethiopia’s recent human rights record and opens the door for sanctions. The bill would still have to be passed by both houses and be signed by U.S. President George W. Bush.
