everybody's basically in dough. so the mexicans with the dots and the germans, are we get tina's and or whatever, the tickets with the suite for that is that connection that will make it so special . some finishing touches and a few more qualify teams. and now all that needed before the middle east, biggest sporting events can begin. and the richardson al jazeera, doha arg you want to there, lisa, who robin and reminder of our top news stories. the scene in 2nd of rides and linds against new cave in 1900 restrictions protested to stone by what the police in the hague. 3 people are being treated in hospital after office is open fire. the french caribbean islands have gone to loop, have been put under a curfew after 5 days of violent protests against cave. at 19 restrictions. no one

is allowed on the streets between 6 pm and 5 am. frances, sending special police and counter terrorism alters in response to looting and also july in the heading to the polls on sunday. billions are choosing a successor to sebastian panera. the leading candidates include leftist, gabrielle bowditch and right winger jose antonio cast. daniel shrine. la has more from santiago, there is a great deal uncertainty in chile, given that this is a country with huge wealth. but it is a country which has some of the worst wealth distribution anywhere in the 8 and in the developed world. many of the people in this country would like to have a great to share of some of that. well. so some of that progression that truly has been made over the years and they're betting everything really on these elections on sunday to see which way they go. either extreme left or for right rebels, the therapy as northern to go i regions a red federal forces part me have carried out a drone strike. talked in

a residential area in mckelly government, undergrad and forces have been fighting since november last year. a police station has been set on fire incident during the latest round of demonstration. people are demanding justice kills are in recent protest and handover power to civilian rule. china has done graded, its diplomatic ties with lithuanian. it follows the baltic nation allowing taiwan to open the representative office, its capital vilnius. official photos on the video have emerged from bench ray, which shows the tenant star at a junior tournament in beijing than had not been seen in public since making sexual assault allegations against former chinese vice premier. shang, surely. those were the headlines on their more news in half an hour. next, it's upfront to stay with us. if america held up a mirror to itself, what would it see in the sense race is the story of america what's working and

what's not? a lot of people were only talking about that. it wasn't at the top of the agenda. if america can't handle multiple challenges on multiple fronts, we need to go back to school. the bottom line on al jazeera, but year into a conflict between government forces integrated rebels. ethiopia has seen thousands of lives lost in nearly 2000000 people displeased and now as fighting intensifies a larger humanitarian crisis. loops international, regional diplomats, are working to contain the conflict and stave off the spectre of famine. but is there a way to avoid catastrophe? we'll hear from to gram people's liberation front advisor and former un ambassador to say her ascii dome a little later in the show. with 1st, we speak to selma with casa, a spokesperson for ethiopian prime minister avi, amidst government so lemme would cost to thank you so much for joining me on up front. it's been now a year since this beginning of the conflict between your government and the to

grand people's liberation front the t p. a left the humanitarian situation. the region continues to get worse. there are now 400000 ethiopians facing starvation at the moment. what is your government doing? what is ethiopian government doing to help them? well, as i've mentioned that the t pair left started this conflict last year in november, attacking and seizing the e t a p n north n command headquarters in to cry. through this process in the past, so 4 or 5 months of thousands were also killed and hundreds of women have been great by this. the terrorists group militants said the t p elephant. their supporters are at this moment and it's an important point that you bring up this idea of sexual violence in many the other atrocities that are happening in the region. but i want to just bring it back to the humanitarian question for a moment. and just to clarify, i didn't say that the ticket at the tpl,

if started the war, said that the, the conflict started between your government and the t p. a left a year ago. what the question is, but what is the ethiopian government doing to help the people who are suffering due to this humanitarian crisis? the 400000, if the opens were facing starvation, my question is, what is the government doing in response to that? well, the government is doing everything in its power to address the humanitarian crisis in all that, to grade the i'm hata and it off i regions of what mainly the teeth elephant there supports us. i've basically pretending that that, to great bridge and is that made victim of the federal system that they basically once cruelly dominates it. but yet their supporters and the malicious are the ones that you know attacking that original a states of amada and off i regions. and committee, very cruel crimes against humanity. so let me, let me just pause you just for a moment. i, again, i understand your position and we are we're,

we'll have plenty of time to sort of unpack, ah, your, your concerns in your critique of the t p. l f, but my question is really around the humanity response and the reason why this question is so urgent to people is because last month or after the you in a cheap martin griffith's called when your government to facilitate access to take away. the government's response was to expel 7 top you in a humanitarian workers in the country. at the same time, the hundreds of thousands of ethiopians are desperate for food and medical supplies . i'd like you to talk about again, not so much with the t p l f. is doing but what the if you've been government is doing to address the humanitarian issue of, of, of, of hunger, of famine, et cetera. but also how you respond to these criticisms that people are being literally pushed out who are providing the aid. well, for many months now of the ip in government has been facilitating every effort, including those efforts by the united nations, to gate foods and aid to those in meet. however,

the t pay less the have led to the were lives of the world that said this efforts have been properly addressed. i can mention one number for you and here more than 1100 trucks have been that we are transporting food and aid to that to grad region. but more than a 100 of them haven't been returned from tech wreck. those trucks have been used after that they were seized by this telescope and took right. they were used for military purposes. they were not traded back to their intended purposes. this is one thing that the federal government is trying to a project that the world should know that this terrorist group is using the agenda . alpha humanitarian aid to a project that the federal government doesn't care for its people. but the fact is to the opposite of that because the, the federal government has been trying to push whatever is needed for the people

integrate. and also for that people and i'm hot and off. i regents, most of the international community kind of neglects neglects that their regional commodities that have been displaced from their homes because of digressions by the t p. i left and i'm hotter and outage and also need humanitarian assistance. that is what the federal government is trying to address at this point. but the ftp left is basically stopping that the activities of the federal government to address those humanitarian needs and are in those areas affected by the conflict. so i understand your position of the t p l f is the reason why aid is not getting to the people in the region who needed an outside agencies outside entities are saying something quite different. a 100 trucks a day are needed in aid, according to the united nations. ah, to, to get the ticket. i only about 10 percent about 10 trucks a day are actually getting there again. you and ha,

morton. griffith suggests that it's the ethiopian government that has not done what it needs to do to facilitate the process. in addition, it's not just you and officials this year. your government also ordered a 3 months suspension of the activities of the norwegian refugee council, and of a branch of doctors without borders. and just last week, 72, our truck i was working for the world food program were arrested by government forces. what do you say to that? well, that is one of the narratives that the t p life is trying to projects that, that the federal government is neglecting its people, which is the opposite. as i've mentioned before, the terrorist scope is basically stopping the activities alpha. this is the, this is the united nations, this is doctors without borders. this is the norwegian refugee council. this is the world food program. but this isn't simply a t p, a left narrative. i mean is there, are you saying that all of this information is simply misinformation basically what

the t p f is doing as promoting aggression. arrived at the region of administration off, i'm hata, and off i digits, which i've mainly the routes where the aid trucks can be passing through. so where they're, the aggressions are going through that federal government is trying to, of promote and also facilitates the necessity and the needs of that people in to gray. and also i'm hata and our fudge. and, but in that, to great region, mainly that the aggression from the tp left has stopped almost all of that communication. and also the transportation off this aid trucks because of this, that cheap enough has continued using that propaganda that they had federal government is using hunger. i've been to inflict in that's a great a bridge and, and state but which is completely false at this narrative, i want to move on because according to amnesty international,

your government has already committed what could amount to war crimes. they published a report last august, detailing how soldiers and militia aligned with your government, or using sexual violence as a weapon of war and subjective women, to quote, rape, gang, rape, sexual slavery, sexual mutilation, and other forms of torture. how does happen? i want to mention the same report that was brought up by amnesty international of probably last week that says that gang raped was also being used by the t p. ls of soldiers and militias around and fos. mozart. that is one very simple and very narrow example that we can mention here that more than 100 women where gang raped by the t pay less for soldiers and militias. they were also subject to in human acts and also where a subject to vary heinous crimes. by this at telescope,

but i'm talking about be active at this moment of the ethiopian government, we keep pivoting to the tpl f. i'd like you to talk about how these types of alleged sex crimes happened. committed by the ethiopian government, based on his amnesty international. what not the tpl of how does this happen from the perspective of the ethiopian government? what basically they took in company government is committed to ensure that all perfect traitors of the serious crimes are, will be brought to justice, which is also being undertaken by the national courts here. a basically that the seriousness of the government is demonstrated because we have allowed the united nation commission for human rights to conduct investigations on the actions of the day. if you've been a soldier, the if your pin national defense force and also that human rights commission was part of this a project that joint project and investigation, acknowledging the wrong doings of some e, n d f. the members of the government that has already been undertaken and there

have been a the government has taken the initiative to undertake this a small group, small members of they have been national defense force members to that justice system that we have already in the country. so that is one thing that the government has done, acknowledging that wrong banks and also taking action accordingly. the numbers seem quite low though. i mean prime minister abbey, amid to your point, said in march that any soldier responsible for raping our women in looting communities in the region will be held accountable, numerous in jails. numerous observers have documented the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war integral. and yet there have been only slightly over dozen soldiers actually convicted if the government is really committed to this. and we've seen, you know, dozens of interviews, just amnesty international alone interviewed a 63 survivors of raping other sexual violence. so if there's such a wide scale, systematic use use of rape as war, why are we only seeing

a dozen soldiers convicted? i mean, it's hard to believe that the government is taking this type of violence seriously, by the way, the international community, and also the international media basically forgets that at this point the a t p left harry scope is actively attacking those neighboring regions of am. hara and are far regions because of that millions have been displaced. thousands of people have been killed and hundreds and more than hundreds of people. more than hundreds of women have been raped, gang raped by this telescope, malicious. they international community and the media by itself keeps forgetting that this is tara scope is now i talking bill scripts that if you're penn national defense force hasn't been in that tig right. there is no war intakes, i would have to push back. so what i have to push back on, i just last week, amnesty international published

a similar accusations of sexual violence against the t p. a lab. so they're not ignoring this, this isn't a biased report. they're saying that this is happening on both sides. and again, i intend to ask these same questions to the tpa leverage representatives when i was asking about about about the therapy in government. and again, this seems to be a hard sharp pivot toward the tpl f. whenever the ethiopian government is subjected to scrutiny here, but i guess i'll have to move on up. both parties are coming under increased pressure from the international community to sit down to negotiate and to come up with a peaceful solution to this conflict. the african unions envoy olu sagen obasanjo was in the country last mother this month. in fact, with canyon president rural kenyatta. do you agree with them that the only way for it is to dialogue in that's how we'll get into these hostilities? well that basically that t pay less is designated a terrorist group by the household people. so if isn't that tips that speak to the

whole country on behalf of the tippin people. so any such move, 1st of all, will have to be dependent on the will. and the voice of the people through the house of people representatives that's taking that into consideration, that hip and government has been supporting dr if it is of the special envoy, president obasanjo. and it's a quest for the truth and in its quest then, his quest to find what is going on on the ground, the from old sex all said the conflict and the pin government will basically continue supporting this piece, processed by this, especially emvoy glenwood carson. thank you so much for joining me on upfront. ah, barry the enemy? that's what you'll be in prime minister abbey amid said recently from the country's military headquarters in addis ababa. the enemy he's talking about is the t p a

left the to grind people's liberation front, the political party that govern the country for decades before abbey was elected prime minister in 2018. you for the government's perspective. well, joining me now to share the view from the other side is to say her, asked adam, an advisor to the regional state government of to grey and former ambassador to the you in for say her, ask it on. thank you so much for joining me on up front. a year ago. you said the 10th grade people want to live in peace as equals with the rest of ethiopians. no more, no less than yet. the t p. a left in partnership with a coalition of anti government groups is making in advance toward iso barbara the capital. how could that possibly be considered a pursuit of peace among equals? thank you for having me there again, as you said, it has been a year and a couple of weeks since sir avia hammer declared a genocide on what on the people of to cry. and what i said then the remains the

same. the truth that is to guy is under a complete city right now. people are dying. that is an oil power. there is no telephone van king. there is a continuation of the war, sort of starvation of the 7 minute people into cry. and we have no other choice, but to go forward and break the siege. we have no other algeria multry. this again, we want to, to break sushi, seek and peace, and bring peace to our people. we wanted to monitor an age. we wanted to talk to either each of fairness, who want to live. it was peace like we do there for the, the advancement of the ticket i forces toward this at this hour is nothing more, nothing less than to break the siege. and to bring about change the security and

safety of the to can i people but, but this advancement right now has cost a great great amount of human lives. i mean, in august, you an aid chief morton. griffith said that more than 250000 had been displaced in the am hara and afar regions. more recently, the government is said that numbers closer to a 1000000, there's a huge human cost. is it worth it? it is what is it? no human life is was her anything, but it is oars as far as the people of to get our concern. we have no other choice . we are left. her blocked her. the wallet has forgotten us. genocide has been committed against saw people. children are dying. you are asking me if the people of to get i should be sitting there and condemned to days. we wanted to shorten the suffrage. we don't want to people offer, i'm hara,

are far to go through what we have was who for the to it for the last one. humans would say that this, i was pleased with this happening and i'm her in a far that you're referencing that's c p a life of the responsibility. no it is. it is, it is a war, sir. the ticket i have horses are engaging in hot pursuit of what the 80 to appear nationally. foreign forces are doing to them. they are protecting themselves. do we have good people are suffering because of this war? it goes without saying, but the solution is not there to condemn the ticket people and to stop the to grounds. it is for the central government to make to come to each sense. and either it will be defeated militarily, or it has snow to negotiate. and we have to come to some kind of the transition, a lot regiment recently the t p $118.00 other anti government groups, and now the formation of the united front of ethiopian federalist income. federalist forces. one member of the allied group said the next step will be to

organize ourselves and totally dismantle the existing government, either by force or negotiation. is that an accurate assessment of your objective? that is, let me see, let, let me clarify the united front to has ah, ah, short term and a medium and long term agenda. in the short term, this 9 ottoman groups that are wooden war again, is the central government at one lever or another. wanted to coordinate amongst themselves or no joint command, militarily capacity in, in every aspect of it to shortens us genocidal war or pressure the government to come to negotiating table and to have some a transitional arrangement. if he refuses, it will be defeated militarily, but the political solution remains the same. this is

a shorter term in the following, the demise of this government in our d'silva. we wanted to pull up on all others army, not armed. the stakeholders in utopia come to negotiating table all inclusive, and then we'll see what kind of transitional arrangements will have. one way of the other, the auction is that abby hammered of our limited. let's move on to talk a bit about the humanitarian crisis in the region. there are famine like conditions right now that are swept to gray region. in fact, it is the worst of starvation crisis in the world. according to the united nations, are estimates from various internationally groups and the u. s. government say anywhere from roughly half to 1000000 people are facing starvation right now, but is a military advancement going to stop the famine? as you writes, news heard to get i is in our facing a starvation and her sadly establishing is used as

a weapon of war. the saddest thing is that is suit medicine in fuel just few kilometers across the border from to grey. that abbey hammered has denied us to you to, to, to bring it to the people, the international community have a st enough medicine fuel and he has denied us. he has blocked us. yes, we have been dying for man this now. and the only way we can come out of the city is to break the seach and bring him out. it's around 8 from the international community. but so that the criticisms about blocking or denying access to necessary aid arts is directed at the ethiopian government. the united states agency for international development has accused the t p. a left of looting, humanitarian aid warehouses, trucks, particularly in the m ha to region. how can you justify this with hundreds of thousands of people in it? you'll be right now are desperate for food who are in desperate need of medical

supplies. how can you justify the the brocade of humanitarian aid, from djibouti to ticket? i squarely, squarely stops of the gates of abbey. i'm it. he has a stopped anything going to took away because he wants to start of the people, even that ticket i army of the doing what you are legally said they are looting the international community house together. we are willing to accept united nation personnel to their places where we are out in missouri right now, where we're entering right now. and all food and services should be delivered to all the people that are in need. what am thinking that are equal or 9 reports that members of the people that have been looting trucks, i mean, sean jones, ahead of the u. s. aid mission and ethiopia said, specifically, we know for a fact that the t p a left every town they've gone into, they looted the warehouses, they blew the trucks, they caused a great deal of destruction in all the villages that they have visited. my question

is less about the fuel being government and more about the t p a live is a t p a left also involved in the looting. if so why, how can it be justified? i am, i am not denying norama admitting because there is no verification of to the allegation of the years that prints out to you, but you also have to to you also have to remember the head of the unity id have fade ib hammered, has completely cut off to gray and he's using foot other weapon. 7000000 people are blocked off to august does not make right. the international community, including the united nation, have said to that are, is completely cut off from international aid. and that is famine into gray. it is not, it is sonata, the people are dying, children are day in that has not been any tracks going to to that i seen is june, only 10 percent of the needed trucks out of that 100 trucks are supposed to enter

to could i every day at e, m, at has stopped us and our people are dying. this same operation should be gone to the, to our far the allegations out there. what you have to do was st. united mission personal to all these areas and via verifies them and deliver hood to old victim as in our father in amara, but also integrated recently earth. numerous women told amnesty international that they were raped by fighters in the t p. a left during the attack on the m harder region in august, but they describe being raped at gunpoint rob, and subjected to physical and verbal assault. they said the fight is also destroyed in looted the towns, medical facilities. or what do you have to say about these reports? and i would like to get your take on these allegations regarding the t p a left. in particular this as you say, these are allegations and we have high respect for the communist international. and we wanted to, to see it verified, investigated by the united nations. and if any,

any one of our forces are found guilty of this, there will be accountable and they will be held accountable, but did not compare this and put it as if it is equal to what has happened in ticket i for 8 months is where talking about every crime been human bur. history has been committed, integrate and i do respect the report of the amnesty international and yet what it has to be investigated in the reported if there are. 7 15 victims of any violence by the to good. i forces one is too many there will be you know, held accountable. said her asked on thank you so much for joining me on up front. thank you so much for having me. all right, that's our show up front. we'll be back next.

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