By Nora Boustany
Washington Post Foreign Service
Ethiopia’s ambassador to Washington reacted furiously yesterday to a bill moving forward in Congress that would make future U.S. aid conditional on key democratic reforms.
The Ethiopian Democracy and Accountability Act would withhold aid from Washington’s chief counterterrorism ally in the Horn of Africa unless Ethiopia accepts outside human rights monitoring, builds an independent judiciary, allows freedom of the press and permits $20 million in U.S. assistance to bolster democracy. The bill passed the House on Tuesday on a voice vote but still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by President Bush before it can become law.
Samuel Assefa, Ethiopia’s ambassador here, warned that withholding aid from Ethiopia would have dire consequences in the Horn of Africa. “This is not about a humanitarian cause, nor about compassion or Africans who go against one another,” he said.
Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), one of the bill’s backers, told the House on Tuesday that shielding the Ethiopian government from opprobrium because it is assisting Washington in its fight against terrorism is faulty reasoning. “The regime’s actions will breed more terrorism,” Smith said yesterday.
“We are very disappointed because the House did not pursue an agenda that is recognizably that of the U.S., Ethiopia or friends of democracy,” Assefa said in a telephone interview yesterday. “You are telling extremists: ‘This is your day.’ The bill basically sends a chilling message to all those who wish to see society heal.” Assefa said Ethiopia has made huge strides but also suffered huge setbacks in its attempts to build a democracy.
“Ethiopia is very complicated,” he said. Speaking of the widespread riots two years ago following the country’s flawed elections, and a government crackdown against opposition politicians and journalists, Assefa said, “This is not the last word on Ethiopian democracy.”
Ethiopian opposition leaders in Washington described the bill, which had been stalled for many months, as a milestone in their country’s quest for true democracy.
The possible loss of security assistance has infuriated the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, which finds itself embroiled in the fight against insurgents at home and in Somalia, which it invaded in December, and in the midst of a prickly standoff with neighboring Eritrea, which it accuses of harboring radical Islamic fighters.
U.S. military and counterterrorism officials have treated Ethiopia as a bulwark against al-Qaeda fighters known to have been organizing and networking in East Africa since 1998, when the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed.
“Passage of the bill sends a strong signal to the Ethiopian regime, the State Department and the international community. It shows that the U.S. government is on the record in supporting human rights in Ethiopia. For us this is historic,” said Mesfin Mekonen, an Ethiopian American who is chairman of the International Council of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy in Ethiopia, a group active in Washington.
Passage of the bill came after intense lobbying by Ethiopian democracy activists. Hailu Shawel, president of the coalition and an opposition prisoner who was recently released by the Ethiopian government, attended the House session for the vote along with dozens of others.
ER Editor’s Note
The last two paragraphs are incorrect. Neither Hailu Shawel nor Mesfin Mekonnen attended the House session for the vote. This misinformation is the work of Ato Mesfin, an EPRP agent whom Dr Taye brought to the illegal KIC (keysi).
15 thoughts on “Woyanne envoy furious over H.R. 2003”
ambassador samuel assefa, would you shut up your mouth please? It is really shame!!! USA should not compromise on the basic human right. USA can fight and win terrorism with the help ethiopia’s ppl. It is really shame to deal with terrorists to fight terrorism. USA must stand with ethiopia’s ppl and defend democracy. the shameless samuel assefa must deport from usa to some where in china or north korea,
ambassador Samuel assefa the cadre of TPLF, will you please shut up your mouth. shame on you that u study a human kind. to stand for the trues. what about now those who fight for the people right do you think that they are not right. you suppose to stand and speak for those who lost their life in the name of democracy and inequality as a cadre your face is turned in to Asia so your mind cannot agree with them what soever they say, say,say.
Ambassador Samuel Assefa,you failed to make a point. why do you not really critically comment mensioning components of the HR 2003. You know there is none.you said what you said because that is what you are told to say. It is time for you to confess and join the mass and stand against injustice.
Barambarsas samuel assefa,
we Ethiopians are sick and tired of your meles regime.Don’t you guys get it? Your regime can’t get away by killing mother infront of her doughter,childern infront of their mother and bring (black eyed peas)to make us forget what happend and happening right now.We don’t care about your fire work and festivals,instead we care about human right ,freedom of speech,free judiciery,free media.cabish
If you beleive that the meles government is democratic why to wory about the bill. Opposing the bill is like saying let me continue with my dictatorial act and no body should care if I violate the basic human rights or not
come to your sences
ambassador Samuel assefa
How much are you being paid to betray your mother land. you are on retarded ambassador
Wheeewww what a freakn moron ambassador we have
Mr.Ambassador
Please note that H. R. 2003 is all about Human rights. The right to express of thought,assembly,accountablity,tranparec
“…the House did not pursue an agenda that is recognizably that of the U.S., Ethiopia or friends of democracy,” Samuel Assefa.
The US congress is more aware of than you do Mr. Assefa that none of the TPLF tugs realize that the direction the country is going won’t be any worst than where it is now. You might pursue then again the killings openly. That won’t kill the aspirtion of the Ethiiopian people. It is sleeping gaint now subdued by force. You know that and you are just worried about the benefits you might lose if you abondon your post.
Weu know how democracy works please stop lecturing us on one. You better start the Meles style of arrogancy and call the members of the Congress the “colonial viceroy”. That might get you attention.
The ambassador thinks that the minority primitive dictatorship that have complete monopoly of opinion and rights over the poor Ethiopians can also practice the same barabaric acts of domination and opinion dictatorship in a pluralistic democarcy. That is one form of shameless extremism and decadent fundamentalism that is ONE BIG negative for the US policy in the Horn. It is time for the US to take clear distance away from such brutal black Nazis that have been and are still commiting genocide?
Samuel is confused deep down to his bones because he failed to notice that every body knows that the regime which he represents is just a simple gang of killers. Even those circles who deal with that regime for some minore interest know that. Human Rights must prevail!
I have to say what i have to.I read this story from other sources and from the original,Washington Post too. What right do you have to cut parts of the news.I knew that you may have personal grudge against Mr. Hailu. The last para of the Nora’s news states that Hailu Shawel and dozens others attended the meeting at the congress.So what is the need to cut it ? it is not your news to twist it according your feeling ,i just want to correct you .I have a concern and i believe in democracy and have strong support for the opposition born out of true foundations.You are too rushy who listens to your emotions rather than to your reasoning and farsightedness.Please dont take it as an attack. I had read earlier too your lashes against Dr.Birahanu ,you see how you err? A journalist should wait and see to purify the work ,the piece of news ,he/she gathers and checks credibility. I like your boldness and your stance against the tyrant regime of the TPLF, I truely believe you are a friend of Ethiopia and its people and we share a mutual fight against the ruthless handfuls who mercilessly kill and dehumanise our brothers and sisters.We shouldnt make Woyane happy by fannig differences ,it could be solved ,is not a major difference,we can work together and act tactfully and wisely.it is not time for emotions but rationals ,Please Elias take a better way to help kindle the flame of democracy that burns for ever and ever.Forgive my being rough if you felt that way ,but mine is sincere criticism ,that helps you refine your future works. If you are not comfortable to post it you can email me, [email protected]
Thank you!!
Ambasader Samuel do not afraid HR 2003 if you really stand for democracy and never paticipate in anyone of the deceisions that took the lives of 193 peacefull demonstrators and maiming several hundreds. I advise you this is the right time for you to to stand with the right cause of the vast majority of Ethiopians.Leave that liar friend of your’s or face the consequence. What a blessed Idea;to stand and fight for the rights of the people and shame to lineup with the ruthless dictators and renegades, who betra their people and territory to the enemy. History will never forget this naked crime. Do you really like your country? or you want to keep your promisses to your master and stay banda. I hope your parents didn’t teach you this.
Ambasader Samuel do not afraid HR 2003; if you really stand for democracy and never paticipate in anyone of the deceisions that took the lives of 193 peacefull demonstrators and maiming several hundreds. I advise you this is the right time for you to to stand with the right cause of the vast majority of Ethiopians.Leave that liar friend of your’s or face the consequence. What a blessed Idea;to stand and fight for the rights of the people and shame to lineup with the ruthless dictators and renegades, who betray their people and territory to the enemy. History will never forget this naked crime. Do you really like your country? or you want to keep your promisses to your master and stay banda. I hope your parents didn’t teach you this.
A message to all killers,blood suckers,Agez gangters….your days are numbered.Mr.Meles your days are numbered.Face the justices or start hanging yourselfes to the trees.Hr2003 has passed and Bush will be on the people side…the poor ethiopians who have no guns to fight back the WAR that was brought on to them by TPLF/Tigrea people.Ethiopians didn’t ask or vote for TPLF to govner the Ethiopian people and the land.If you think you can kill ethiopians and get away with it THINK again MR Meles you’r wrong if you think you can…HR2003 just says that if you kill you will pay.If you do the crime then you will do a time mr Meles.Mr Meles if you think you can smart us out you’r wrong …you’r not fooling us but yourself and your blood suckers friends.Mr Meles we will see you in court when you’r send away to do your time for killing unarmed Ethiopians.
Dr. Samuel, Lemenor Yemikefelut eda new aydel endih Yadergewot. enant yeweyane sewoch Leb yesetachehu.
Hule kewent enderakachehu menorachehu betam yasazenal. Sew land ken enkuan lehelinachehu satenoru mekeretachehu betam new yemigermew. Gize yefeje yehonal enji yechin eweneta and ken endemetegonechuat ateterateru.
God blease Ethiopian.
KINIJIT has already prevailed. After more than a decade of stillstand and misery, it aroused the Ethiopian resistance with a wisely crafted and broad Ethiopian political agenda once again. Thank you kinijit for your mission acomplishment. This time, we will go forward with or with out kinijit. The Meles regime will kill, harrass and arrest the people with or with out kinijit. In the end, Meles and his thugs will fail.