His Excellency António Guterres:

Secretary-General of the United Nations:

The United Nations Security Council and World Leaders:

January 17, 2022

Dear Madams/Sirs,

I am writing to implore you to utilize your position in the UN Security Council to take action against Ethiopian Airlines’ network, which is creating further instability in the country by violating the civic, political, economic and social rights of the Ethiopian people. Ethiopian Airlines’ network has been responsible for human rights violations in over a year of conflict, which is ongoing in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. A CNN investigation (published 10/8/21) found cargo documents, manifests, eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence of proof that "Ethiopia's government has used the country's flagship commercial airline to shuttle weapons to and from neighboring Eritrea during the civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray region."

In a press conference in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, expressed her deep concerns of the “numerous reports of ethnic profiling of Tigrayans, including in Addis Ababa.” She continued to reveal, “...we have reports of dismissals from jobs – including in the civil service – harassment of Tigrayan journalists and hate speech against Tigrayans. Such discriminatory actions are deeply unjust but are also fostering divisiveness and sowing the seeds for further instability and conflict.” She calls on “the Government to take immediate measures to halt such discrimination."

On December 2, 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 1.2 million people have been displaced from Western Tigray since the beginning of the conflict. A November 26th article penned in the Guardian by Helen Clark, former head of the UN Development Programme and former prime minister of New Zealand, Fr Michael Lapsley and David Alton reiterated cries to the international community to prevent further atrocities, “The warning signs are there for genocide in Ethiopia – the world must act to prevent it”.

“The global paralysis on Ethiopia’s armed conflict has emboldened human rights abusers to act with impunity and left communities at risk feeling abandoned,” said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "Humanitarian supplies are simply not flowing at the pace and scale needed," WFP’s Mr. Dunford warned in a statement on January 14th, highlighting the dire needs of those trapped in Tigray. “We’re on the edge of a humanitarian disaster,” he said.

I respectfully urge you to stand with Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Jim Risch of the United States of America by supporting the values set forth in the Global Magnitsky Act to uphold the preservation of human rights and peace - the very foundation of the UN Security Council. Our recommendation is for economic and financial sanctions to be imposed on Ethiopian Airlines’ network for their human rights offenses and participation in acts of public corruption and destabilizing activity in Ethiopia.

Thank you for your crucial consideration of these serious concerns and recommendations. I look forward to your response and actions.

Sincerely,

Concerned global citizen