UN / ETHIOPIA DETAINED STAFF

STORY: UN / ETHIOPIA DETAINED STAFF
TRT: 01:05
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 NOVEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters

10 NOVEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at the dais
3. Wide shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We have, as far as I am aware, not received any official explanation while a number of UN staff as well as people who have been contracted to work for the UN are in detention and continue to be detained. The current numbers that I have is that at least nine UN staff members are currently detained. We continue to work and engage with the government to secure their release. We’ve also received reports that at least 70 people who have been contracted by the UN to drive trucks have also been detained. They’ve been contracted by both the UN and a number of international NGOs. And again, we are calling for their release.”
5. Wide shot, end of presser

STORYLINE:

A United Nations spokesperson today (10 Nov) told journalists that the UN has “not received any official explanation" from Ethiopia's federal government in Addis Ababa for the detention of nine UN staff and at least 70 truck drivers contracted to work for the UN.
The spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said, “the current numbers that I have is that at least nine UN staff members are currently detained. We continue to work and engage with the government to secure their release. We’ve also received reports that at least 70 people who have been contracted by the UN to drive trucks have also been detained. They’ve been contracted by both the UN and a number of international NGOs. And again, we are calling for their release.”

On 30 September, the Ethiopian government expelled seven United Nations humanitarian staff.