No matter what differences or conflicts need to be resolved, there is always a way to deal with them through diplomatic means, instead of implementing measures against countries, Lefebre said.

Imposing sanctions on a sovereign country, he stressed, is like perpetrating an act of genocide because it harms most of the population.

Every time the superpowers impose sanctions, they explain that it is to improve people’s lives, but in fact, they make life more difficult for the people, he added.

Punishing most of the population with hunger is not the right way to achieve political goals, the ambassador said in an interview with the Ethiopian News Agency.

The superpowers think that their idea of democracy should be a one-size-fits-all approach for all other countries and do not accept that other nations have their own way of practicing democracy, he pointed out.

All countries have their difficulties and have their ways of solving them, said Lefebre, who commented that “if Western powers really defend people’s rights and a better life, they should support others on how to deal with their problems.”

By implementing sanctions, you kill people’s hope for a better life, because when you intend to punish a government, millions of people are really the victims, he insisted.

If you prohibit or prevent a country’s access to international financial institutions, how are their conditions going to improve and how is the economy going to grow?, the ambassador wondered.

jg/iff/jha/raj