Slovak Ambassador recalled from Ethiopia

Slovak Ambassador recalled from Ethiopia after detention – Slovakia has downgraded diplomatic relations with Ethiopia and recalled Ambassador Milan Dubcek after an unexplained detention of the envoy in Addis Ababa against international norms, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said. Slovak Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said the two-day detention of Dubcek created an “inadmissible precedent”.
On Monday, the Slovak Foreign Ministry rejected an explanation offered by Addis Ababa, saying it was inadequate and sent another protest note.

He said the incident was in violation of the international law, including the Vienna Convention, which regulates inter-state relations. The minister described the detention of the ambassador as ‘unjustifiable’ under the international law, insisting that no amount of wrong doing would explain the detention. Slovakia, a member of the European Union (EU), has not decided whether to severe diplomatic relations with Ethiopia following the recall of the ambassador. The Slovak embassy in Addis Ababa would remain under the command of a charge d’affaires, while the ambassador remains in Slovakia for further discussions. The ambassador has denied any involvement in criminal activity or actions that would warrant the action as serious as detention.

Meanwhile, the Slovak minister said the embassy would remain open and diplomatic relations would stay at the level of the charge d’affaires. Dzurinda said apart from failing to offer an apology for the action, the Ethiopian administration sounded vague on the entire incident. “We have scrutinized it but its contents did not satisfy us, so we have again sent our reaction,” a Slovak website, quoted the foreign minister as saying.

The Slovak envoy was detained 5 November while on a routine walk; he was released 7 November after the intervention of the Polish ambassador in Ethiopia. Slovakia has formally sought the intervention of the EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton on the matter. The EU state expressed the hope that relations between the two countries would remain warm.

Source: Afrique en ligne