Press Release
Ethiopia Declares Eritrean Ambassador Persona Non Grata

The Government of Ethiopia has declared Eritrea's Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the Organization of African Unity persona non grata and has requested him to leave the country in twenty-four (24) hours.

The reasons given by the Ethiopian Government to justify its unwarranted and hostile act are baseless. The action also violates the letter and spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the various agreements between the Organization of African Unity and Ethiopia as a host country.

This latest hostile act by the Ethiopian Government is only one of a long series of violations of several international conventions and customary international law whose purpose is to contribute to the development of friendly relations among nations, the maintenance of international and regional peace and security, and the efficient performance of the functions of diplomatic missions as representing states.

It is to be recalled that the Government of Ethiopia has already expelled more than forty (40) Eritrean diplomats and local staff of the Embassy of Eritrea in Addis Ababa in total contravention of the letter and spirit of the norms of international and regional instruments relating to diplomatic privileges and immunities as well as customary international law.

Ambassador Girma has been constantly and systematically harassed by Ethiopian security forces during the last nine (9) months and was prevented from fulfilling his duties as a diplomatic agent of a sovereign country.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Asmara, 10 February 1999