Mary Henry (Independent)

I observed last week that there has been no satisfactory resolution to the election in Ethiopia, where there are many Irish observers. Some of them contacted me to impart the perception in that country that there is not much international interest in what is happening there. Many members of the opposition have been imprisoned without trial and lives have been lost as the armed forces use their weapons against unarmed citizens on the streets. Given that Ethiopia is one of our priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa, will the Leader agree to a debate on this as soon as possible? This House could be influential in ensuring Ethiopians are aware that other states have a strong interest in the situation there and are concerned about what is happening. We should urge the Ethiopian Government and opposition to try to resolve this dreadful situation peacefully.