Ethiopia and Lebanon sanctions on the cards: Borrell
In remarks following a recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said that the ministers had reached ‘a political understanding that a sanctions regime’ against those who responsible for the current situation in Lebanon, should be established. He said, ‘The legal acts will be worked on and a decision will be adopted by the Council in order to create this new sanctions regime without delay,’ but explained, ‘I am not talking about the implementation of the regime, just the building of the regime according with sound legal basis.’
He said it was ‘strange’ that ‘Europeans are more concerned with the search for a political solution to the country than the Lebanese politicians themselves,’ considering that ‘the political stalemate persists, the economy is imploding and the suffering of the people of Lebanon is continuously growing.’
Borrell also hinted that the European Union is prepared to use sanctions ‘where we believe they are justified and necessary’ in response to the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where, he said, ‘the situation has never been as bad [as now] despite the ceasefire announced by the government of Ethiopia.
‘What we are seeing…is a serious humanitarian crisis, with almost 1 million people, 850,000 at risk of famine, and ongoing use of violence against civilians and rape as a weapon of war.’
