WHO Chief Says Uncle “Murdered” in Ethiopia

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organizaton, has said that Eritrean troops “murdered” his uncle in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The WHO chief, who is a former minister from Tigray, has been a vociferous opponent of Ethiopia’s role in the conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths as well as displacing millions.

Tedros revealed in the dying minutes of a Geneva press conference on Covid-19 on Wednesday that he nearly canceled the event because he was “not in good shape” after learning of the “murder” of his uncle.

“I hope that this [peace] agreement will hold and that this madness will end, but this is a very difficult time for me,” Tedros told reporters, adding that over 50 people had died in the tragedy.

Yemane Gebremeskel, the Eritrean minister of information, did not respond to demands for comment on the charges.

In November, the Ethiopian government and regional forces from Tigray reached an agreement to end hostilities.

However, Eritrean and Amhara soldiers that fought alongside Ethiopian forces in Tigray were not part of the truce.