We wish to set the record straight about the article entitled, “Red Cross in confidential prisoner exchange talks with parties to the conflict” that was published on The Reporter on 26 October 2024. We regret that statements in the article regarding alleged talks linked to potential prisoner exchanges in Amhara region were attributed to the ICRC, which was incorrect. This statement was wrongly attributed to the ICRC given that the contents of its dialogue is confidential and limited to the concerned parties.
ICRC
Editor’s Reply
Prior to publishing the article in question, we had spoken with the ICRC communication team. Asked about ongoing talks for a potential prisoner exchange, the communication team responded with the following: “…regarding your question about hostages being taken by one of the parties and ICRC being requested to bring the people who are detained back to their families; that is a discussion between the ICRC and relevant parties. We cannot publicly disclose these discussions….”
We recognize ICRC’s core principle of protecting the confidentiality of its engagements with conflicting parties, and apologize for any repercussions that may have been caused by our publication. However, we hope your organization can recognize that The Reporter also has a duty to provide its readers with full and unbiased news.