The government of Slovakia expressed dissatisfaction with the Ethiopian explanation concerning the detention of its Ambassador last week.

The Slovak Ambassador to Ethiopia, Milan Dubček, was detained on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Addis Ababa, apparently for photographing a restricted area in north-eastern Addis Ababa, around Entoto Mountain. The Ambassador was released two days later, on Monday.

Subsequently, on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic  posted the following statement on its website:

On Saturday, 5 November 2011 the Ethiopian authorities seized Slovak Ambassador to Ethiopia Milan Dubček without further explanation or information of the Slovak diplomacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic strongly intervened for his immediate release as seizure of an Ambassador represents a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Affairs. The Ambassador of the Slovak Republic was released on Monday evening. The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the Ethiopian diplomacy for explanation.

Today Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikuláš Dzurinda has sent a letter to the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radek Sikorski appreciating the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in releasing Ambassador Dubček. He also recognized the help of the Delegation of the European Union in the letter to High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. In this letter Minister Dzurinda warns of inacceptable proceedings of the Ethiopian authorities and asks Catherine Ashton to condemn such acts.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, Foreign Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda held a press conference to announce that Slovakia will recall its Ambassador to Ethiopia. According to Slovakia media, the Foreign Minister said that:

‘the Foreign Ministry had been waiting for three days for an official response from Ethiopia after it sent a diplomatic note demanding not only an explanation but also an apology for Ambassador Dubček’s detention between November 5 and 7……..[the Ambassador] will remain in Slovakia until Ethiopia acts in line with diplomatic practice and international standards, i.e. until the Ethiopian authorities make an apology and provide guarantees that no such moves will be repeated with respect not only to Slovakia, but also to any other EU-member country’.

On the same day, in a statement on its website the Slovak Foreign Ministry stated:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic will recall its ambassador to Ethiopia Milan Dubček for consultations to Slovakia. The Ministry proceeded to this step after unjustifiable detention of the Slovak Ambassador by the Ethiopian authorities in violation of the Vienna Convention. “Dubček will remain in Bratislava [the Capital city of Slovakia] until Ethiopia does what is has to do,“ announced Foreign Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda at a press conference.

Right after the incident the Minister telephoned Ambassador Dubček who is unaware of having done anything exceptional or committed or crime. “The incident in Addis Ababa creates an inadmissible precedent. The unjustified action of Ethiopia is in stark contrast to international law. Whatever he would do, it is out the question to detain him. Brussels and other EU member states have also raised concerns and expressed solidarity,“ stated Minister Dzurinda. Despite this incident, he wishes to have good relations with Ethiopia.

The diplomatic mission in Ethiopia will be run by chargé d’affaires staying in Addis Ababa.

Subsequently, the Ethiopian government sent a letter to the Slovak Ambassador in Germany concerning the incident. However, the Slovak government is unsatisfied with the contents of the letter. The Slovak media quoted the Foreign Minister as saying that:

‘[Slovak] ambassador Igor Slobodník in Berlin has received a reply from Ethiopia……We have scrutinised it but its content did not satisfy us, so we again have sent our reaction

The text is quite long and while there are contradictions, we have found it important to react again – hoping that we will receive a satisfactory reply in a short time’.

The Slovak Foreign Minister also noted that Ethiopia has not formally apologised to Slovakia as expected in diplomatic practice, though some parts of the text might be considered a form of an apology.

The Slovak Ambassador to Addis has already returned to his home, according to Slovak news outlets.

There is no public statement from Ethiopian officials on the matter to date.