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Dinner with Hillary Clinton

Posted on by Elias Kifle

By George Ayittey

Next week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be visiting 7 African countries in 11 days: Cape Verde Islands, Liberia, Nigeria, Congo DR (Goma, in particular), Kenya, South Africa and Angola. Part of the purpose of the trip is to smooth over ruffled feathers. Recall that Kenyans were miffed over the fact that President Obama skipped his fatherland and visited Ghana instead. And Nigerians felt his trip to Ghana was an insidious plot to destabilize their country. So Hillary is being dispatched to soothe frayed nerves and douse the flames. There are also genuine concerns in the Obama administration about Nigeria’s stability and China’s forays into Africa.

The purpose of our dinner at the State Department was an effort by the Secretary of State, Hillary, to reach out of the bureaucratic cocoon to independent “gurus” and seek alternative viewpoints before her trip to Africa. We were given a set of questions to respond to in order to frame the discussion at the dinner forum and help prepare her for the trip. What she should be looking for, what she should say, how she could be helpful, etc.

The dinner was quite extraordinary. The protocol was stultifying; everything was planned to the minutest detail. Yet the atmosphere was relaxed. There were 26 of us at the dinner table with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the center. Half of the guests were State Dept. operatives — speech writer, policy planner, and a retinue of deputies and assistants — assistant this, assistant that, deputy assistant this, if you know what I mean. The remaining 13 of us where the “experts.” There were only 5 blacks there, including Asst. Sec. of State for Africa, Ambassador Johnnie Carson. I was the only African but, at least, it was a start.

The reason why I was invited was because Brian Phipps, Clinton’s policy planner, had read my book, Africa Unchained, two years ago and said it had “a profound influence” on his thinking about Africa. So I asked him if it would be OK to bring two copies of my book — one for Hillary and the other for Obama. He said who would refuse such a gracious act of generosity.

So I took two copies along. One for Hillary which I autographed as: “I am a big fan of yours. Africans are grateful for your concern for the continent.” Hey, a little fawning adulation never hurt nobody. My students do that to me all the time to get good grades: “I learned a lot from your class,” “You are my greatest teacher,” they often tell me. A quick check of the grades of those praise-singers tell a different story. Rascals.

The other book was for President Obama. I autographed it as: “This wont’ get me a BEER at the White House but we are proud of you as a son of Africa. Don’t mind what the Americans say.”

I hope Obama has a sense of humor but don’t try this with President Musugu Babazonga, President-For-Life of the Coconut Republic of Tonga somewhere in the Gulf of Guinea. He is the author of the “Green Book,” which everybody must read. All other books are banned.

I told the group that there was no need to re-invent the wheel and that the West should deal with Africa the way it dealt with the former Soviet Union. There it didn’t form partnerships with communist regimes and hand over money to them on promises of reform. It helped solidarity movements and established Radio Free Europe. Why not Radio Free Africa? Sec. of State Hillary Clinton said it is a great idea and she likes it.

To the consternation of everyone, I commended Hillary highly and told her I was humbled by her invitation and I wish African governments would reach out and seek alternative viewpoints. Instead, they tossed me into jail, raided my hotel room and even fire-bombed my office in Washington, DC. Hillary was listening attentively.

She is very sharp, witty and a good sport. She is quite warm and open. The dinner lasted for two hours and at the end, I gave her the book and posed for a photo.

(The writer can be reached at [email protected])

15 thoughts on “Dinner with Hillary Clinton”

  1. What is the essence of this article? It is a personal issue(about the writer).Okay,I find out that Hillary is not visiting Ethiopia.There is nothing valuable in the article other than that.Who cares about the dinner,what we need is that there should be change in Ethiopia and we have to support anybody who fights for that change,period.

  2. That was a wonderful polished message to the Obama Administration! Hope invitation to Mr. George Ayitteis is the beginning not the end. I also wish that she will one day have a time to listen to the likes of Lencco Leta, Berhanu Nega and the likes of Alemayehu Gebremariam. They will have an earful to say about the ugly dictator and murderer of Ethiopia, Melese Zenawi and his Tigre thugs!

  4. What is it….I agree with you 100 percent. These African regimes have the nerve to hold grudges or be upset by the fact that Obama skipped them during his last trip to the continent. They don’t have anything encouraging to show. They are dens of thieves, connivers and when challenged they have been known to be ruthless killers. Instead, they should just muffle their stinking mouth and clean up the streets, implement sewage system and how about they stop dipping their infected hands in the national coffers for a change and instead do things that are productive for the betterment of their people livelihood.

  5. Ere Min Yishalal Yagere sew?

    When some one like Dr. George Ayittey who is a prominent African scholar, listed among the world’s top 100 intellectuals is writing about his dinner invitation with Hilary Clinton and conveyed a message of his concern about Africa, some one is saying so what because Dr. Ayittey is not talking about Ethiopia in particular. And if he talks about Ethiopia, may be the same person who is saying “so What” might say who he is after all to talk about our problem. Ere Min Yishalal Ye Hagere Sew?
    Unfortunately, we are not lucky enough to be raised in a culture that has to encourage and say a few good words about any positive thing unless we are a direct beneficiary. If Dr Ayittey mentioned his small town some where in West Africa or his nation for that matter, in that event with the US secretary of states, the staff who suggested his invitation to that dinner would have regretted it. However, the professor rose to the occasion and mentioned the whole Africa as one and trying to point out the problems. Did I read the word ‘Who cares”? Most people are unenthusiastic to hear about disapproving messages like yours. Especially a message that has a tone of “if you do not have any thing to talk about me…”
    So my friend from the mother land, what I would do in such an event, I will keep quiet and listen because there might be so many other people out there who could clearly and deeply observe the cohesive entity of Africa and Ethiopia.

  7. I know it. Yes I do.
    The guy who named himself as Yohanes is from EthiopianReview
    If it was not him …he wouldn’t have posted it in z first place.
    And what I said was either it should be titled with the Ethiopian stuff or I wouldn’t care reading a “Hilary Stuff” thing here in this site.I have CNN for that.
    Lets see what he’s gonna say on this.

  8. Some don’t seem to get the message; is it because it is too complex or they don’t want to understand it. “Aweko yetegna bikesekisut aynekam” kind of. The message is clear. Don’t give me to or engage with dictators in the same way us the West dealt the moribund communist states of Eastern Europe & the USSR. So, what is it that it is not clear here? We only who the dictators are, don’t we? Check who is missing out in Clinton’s travel diary.

  10. If you guys think that Dr.Ayittey has spoken to Hillary about the situation in Ethiopia on behalf of Ethiopians,I agree the article is great but I don’t think that was done. I know we have to be respected each other. I am really disappointed with the developed world such as USA and Europe nothing has been done to African dictator leaders like Zenawi though many people have been killed, jailed, and fled out of their country due to the 2005 election.

  11. Thank you; Yohanes and Samuel. I suggest ER and all ET websites should prepare some sort of preliminary civility measuring test to determine whether one has the intelligence or the caliber to engage in such discussion. I understand your frustration…….it is becoming harder and harder to teach civility. Since “qomatan qomata kalalut, gebto yifetefital” newna, lets us just develop some sort of civility measuring questionnaire. What do you guys think?

  12. I’m delighted to see this new development in the State Department.Africa’s coming to a spotlight by the current U.S administration.

    In the meantime the murderer,Meles Zenawi and his hench men’re being isolated earlier by the president,now by the Secretary of State.What do we need more than this at this initial stage of the new administration?Withdrawal of all kinds of support?We hope so and that would be the maximum delight that we,Ethiopans get from the U.S,a beacon of freedom and democracy.

    As one of the commentators rightly put it here above,it’s a high time for the U.S to embrace Mr.Lencho Letta,Dr.Berhanu Nega,Professor Alemayehu Gebre Mariam…and the young Turks,Elias Kifle,Abrha Belay-front runners for free press in Ethiopa.

    May God bless the trip of the Secretary of State to Africa!

    May God help us the release of our beloved sister,Birtukan Midekssa from the solitary confinment of the filthy dungeons of the Woyannes!We pray and repeatedly remind world leaders to help us to secure the release of all other political prisners dumped in known and unknown(secret)underground prisons of the Woyannes!

  14. “What is it” Again! You don’t seem to fathom the complexity of our world’s politics. Dr Ayittie is not naive as you expected him to be to mention Ethiopia and the tyrant leader to Hilary Clinton. I really admire and appreciate the guy called himself Ethiopiawiw and his writing about our caliber, intelligence and civility that suggesting somehow to be measured before engaging in such discussion forum. Well said in part of Ethiopiawiw. As for “who cares” a friend in deed of “What is it” is trying to label me as one of ER people just because I put some comment contrary to his. For these two guys what I am suggesting is at least to sign a petition for Birtukan Mideksa’s release. Then they could say they are contributing the least sacrifice to bring about change that we need to see in Ethiopia and put a certain pressure to the tyrant at home. It is embarrassing to see the number of that petition comparing with the number of Ethiopians living abroad and at home who spoke against such unjust solitary confinement of our young and bright political activist. Yet, we are trying to shift the blame on international community, the western world and to Dr Ayitte while we are sitting idle and tear apart each other and expecting others to do it for us. Even if we have a different opinion from others we do not have to label each other in a category which is not acceptable by any standard. There are always a better way to address ones dissent in a more civil manner than using a raw street language. Since we are living in a civil society, it will be appropriate to learn and be civil and more respectful for each other. If we are not lucky enough to have a better understanding of our situation or if we are not smart enough to learn how the civil society is conducting their day today activity, at least we have to show Ethiopiwi Chewanet on our communication. A pen name is not meant to hide us from our conscience so we can talk rubbish and be rude and write raw things in such media through which we could learn a lot from each other. The degree of our maturity and civility measured on how we communicate with our supporters and opponents alike.

  15. Did somebody suggest a civility test? The trouble is the very same people would pass it with flying colours. There is no way of guaging what they feel deep down. come to think of it, what are we going to do about it even if we know. The only lesson we draw out of such remarks is that a lot of work has to be done to win over these guys.
    That the article appeared on ER is appropriate. Unless supporters of meles tell us that she asked to visit ethipia but he did not want her to come, it is obviously a well thought out move. Well done.

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