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Senator Feingold writes to Secretary Rice on Ethiopia

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

In a letter dated Sept. 22, 2008, U.S. Senator Feingold wrote Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice:

I appreciated State’s prompt response to the question I posed on the Department’s compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act at the hearing. However, I am disappointed that despite acknowledging security forces in Chad and Ethiopia are reported to have committed abuses, the response asserted without any reservation or justification that there is not a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in these countries. This claim contradicts the State Department’s own annual country reports.

In Ethiopia, the State Department’s annual reports over the last decade all document persistent human rights abuses by the security forces, including unlawful killings, beatings, abuse and torture, especially targeting members of the political opposition. In addition, the State Department’s Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices for 2007 specifically cites “the use of excessive force by security services in an internal conflict and counter-insurgency operations.” This is a reference to the Ethiopian military’s operations in the Ogaden region, where available reporting alleges that they have subjected civilians to executions, torture and rape.

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2 thoughts on “Senator Feingold writes to Secretary Rice on Ethiopia”

  2. To Honorable Senator Russ Feingold – Hagos Araya
    United States Senate
    Washington, D.C. 20510

    Dear Senator Feingold,

    My name is Hagos Araya. I live in Arlington, Virginia. I am happy to say that I supported and voted for Democrats since I came to the United States and I am currently supporting Senator Barack Obama for his presidency and will absolutely vote for him in favor of change. I am also an active participant for one of the grass root organizations Ethiopians for Obama in support of Barack Obama.

    I am very proud to say thank you for introducing the Bill 3457 (“Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2008’’). And thank you for your long time continuous human rights support for Ethiopia along with many other Senators and citizens of the United States.
    Senator Feingold, I am also delighted to say thank you for your recent letter to Ms. Rice regarding the US support for terrorist governments like Ethiopia and Chad, to resist terrorism.

    As you have clearly put that the Ethiopian regime led by the Tigrian Liberation People’s Front (TPLF) is the most criminal and corrupted government in the world. This group has have carried out so many crimes including killing and harassing innocent civilians, looting Ethiopians money, assets, and resources in a daily basis, giving Ethiopian land to the highest bidder, exposing the entire country to a non-stop starvation, i.e. currently according to united nation report more than twenty five million people require urgent food assistance and more than 15 million people are suffering with malnutrition and almost all the people are exposed to unaffordable life situations that has kept the majority of the people to eat once in a day except the members and supporters of the TPLF group.

    As side from this fact the bad governance and bad policy of the TPLF illegitimate government has left millions of youth unemployed. Due to lack of good governance of the TPLF mafia group government most people can’t be cured from HIV/AIDS other major dieses that can be prevented using the donors money that is given to the Ethiopian people form generous countries like the US and some other countries in Europe. However, the TPLF illegitimate and criminal government uses the money directly for their personal factors to establish their own businesses and they use the rest of the money to strengthen the military army that has killed many civilians in Ethiopia and currently killing and abusing other thousands of civilians in Somalia.

    As you aware of, the Bill HR2003 authored by Congressman Donald Payne (Chairman, House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health) passed unanimously in the House of Representatives last October 2, 2007. Since, then I have been very curious to glimpse the next stage of this very important piece of legislation in Senate. And at this critical moment of Ethiopia, it is very pleasant to hear the prologue of the Bill 3457 as Ethiopian-American for me.

    I was also recently read your magnificent and historic speech on foreign policy that you made at Georgetown University on September 15, 2008 with a topic “Promoting Democracy, Development and U.S. Diplomacy: U.S. Interests and Values” I completely agree with the entire facts that you addressed regarding the U.S. bilateral relationship should be strongly committed and restricted with the nations that are very democratic to their own people, so that they can be an asset for the counter terrorism and extremism joint force with the U.S.

    I would not also expect a regime like Ethiopia, who is terrorizing its own citizen, would be an alley to confront terrorism along with the U.S. Particularly, in this world of change and challenge; I strongly believe that the U.S. strong transatlantic alliance should based on a legitimate democracy and belief in human freedom, justice, rule of law, limits on the power of the state, freedom of speech, assembly and worship and an enduring conviction that every human being has dignity and worth value is more important than ever before.

    I have always believed that you are a great supporter of human rights and democracy throughout the world. I also know the issues of human rights and democracies are very important to you, particularly Ethiopia. It is with this knowledge that I write this letter to say thank you so much for speaking on behalf of many Ethiopians who have been silenced by the current Ethiopian regime, to the minimum. I am also expecting you will continue to do the best along with many other human rights advocators including myself.

    As you clearly stands for it is very crucial for all of us to help democracy and freedom take root in Ethiopia, a land that has suffered and still currently suffering from famine, political turmoil and poverty for so long. Without democracy and protection for human rights, my ancestral homeland and my family there members do not stand a chance of survival.

    Again Senator Feingold, I thank you deeply for your entire consideration of launching and developing the Bill 3457, and let me know if you rigorously need any other support on my side, since this is a significant issue that I have to contribute my own part using my own potential to make Ethiopia a country with a rule of law is respected above all.

    We Ethiopians are much more ready ever than this time to get rid of the TPLF criminal group from Ethiopia. We all need your human rights support and to enforce the US leglatores to stop supporting the terrerist government of Ethiopia led by Meles Zenawi and its self owned party TPLF. The rest will be a task of the Ethiopians to complitly destroy the terrerist network group of TPLF and bring thier major leaders, members and supporters that have been innvoving in the crimes, to justice.

    Sincerely,

    Hagos Araya

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