An Ethiopian-American human rights advocacy group writes a letter to former President Bill Clinton expressing its concern about a large donation made to the Clinton Foundation by a high-profile member of the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia.
The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
55 West 125th Street
New York, N.Y. 10027
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing regarding potential conflict of interest between the Clinton Foundation and the government of Ethiopia. We appeal to you to look into this matter immediately and dissociate your name and the name of your foundation from a repressive government.
We are particularly concerned about a $20 million donation to your foundation by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi, a businessman closely allied with Ethiopia’s rulers. As you may be aware, Mr. Al-Amoudi’s name has been mentioned in connection with the 9/11 tragedies.
We have reason to believe that the huge donation to the Clinton Foundation was made on behalf of the Ethiopian government. Ethiopia’s rulers have deployed tremendous resources to ensure the continuation of the Bush administration’s policy of unquestioning US support for their controversial rule.
Surprisingly, Sheikh Al-Amoudi, along with the Gates Foundation and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is among the top five donors to your organization.
Although we believe in philanthropy, there is something troubling with this picture. By all accounts, Sheikh Al-Amoudi, the owner of Ethiopia’s famous Sheraton Hotel, is not known for much philanthropy. He has had pet projects where he lavishes cash on soccer players. Beyond that he is known more for throwing extravagant parties and weddings.
Local AIDS organizations that appealed to the billionaire for paltry sums were turned down. So why would a wealthy man from one of the poorest countries in the world say no to organizations in his country and yet easily cough up $20 million for an American organization 10,000 miles away? Is this just a coincidence that the donation was made at the start of US presidential elections?
We have strong reasons to believe Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government is behind Sheikh Al-Amoudi’s unprecedented donation.
Mr. Zenawi stole the 2005 elections, destroyed all opposition, muffled the press, banned advocacy for human rights and made a mockery out of the rule of law. Following the elections, his troops shot and killed 193 people who protested electoral fraud, massacred innocents in Gambella and the Ogaden. They had also bombed civilians in Somalia on many occasions.
Mr. Zenawi’s government has been one of the worst violators of human rights in Africa. But it escaped any sanctions because it was a friend of the Bush Administration; it successfully exploited the administration’s preoccupation with the war on terror.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Genocide Watch International, US Department of State, among others, have extensively documented war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Mr. Zenawi’s government.
Ethiopia’s rulers understand that their very survival depends on the continued financial and diplomatic support of the United States. A brutal minority regime deeply hated by its own people cannot last long without outside protection.
The Zenawi folks understand that they need the continued protection of the United States to stay in power and to avoid justice. They have taken money from the mouth of the starving and spent millions on Washington lobbyists and other policy influencers. They need the legitimacy and respectability bestowed by a US administration and by people like you.
We are appreciative of all the good work done by the Clinton Foundation to alleviate suffering caused by HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. We are particularly grateful for the work your foundation is doing to arrest transmission of the virus from mothers to children.
Mr. President,
The work of the Clinton Foundation in Ethiopia is closely intertwined with government operations. We urge you to go beyond the government and to seek out independent community organizations that are closely working with the poor.
While we laud your AIDS work, we are disappointed that you have never spoken up against egregious human rights violations. We are disappointed Prime Minister Zenawi, a human rights abuser and a war criminal, has been given a forum and respectability at many of your Foundation’s gatherings.
A bad government backed by Western money and using the names of well-meaning people like you have created a hell on earth for 80 million Ethiopians.
In closing, we ask you do the right thing: to speak up on behalf of the poor and the oppressed and not enable a nation’s tormentors. We ask that you speak up against human rights violations in Ethiopia, distance yourself from the Ethiopian regime and disclose all funding from the regime and its allies.
Sincerely,
Ethiopian Americans for Justice
New York, NY
[email protected]
Cc:
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Department of State
Ethiopia Desk, US Department of State
Ambassador Donald Yamamoto, US Embassy in Ethiopia,
25 thoughts on “Ethiopian group concerned about Al Amoudi donation”
Nicely done,
DEATH FOR WOYANE!!
Unfortunately the American government loves “friendly tyrannts” like Meles. But this policy of supporting enemies of their people from Pinochet to Mobutu brought only suffering to the respective people and did make America more safe.
If we really want peace in this world, the parasitic relationship of the West with the developing countries should be reversed and supporting “friendly tyrannts” may bring short-term gains but does not guarantee peace and prosperity for the whole world.
Thank you the Ethiopian American community for speaking up on behalf of the oppressed. 20 million? It was done purely for political reasons, definitely not out of altruism. The thugs of EPRDF are the masterminds of favor fishing campaign.
Haaaah, you did nothing to help your poor mother. She is living in the worst poverty in the world. Yo haven’t tried to help your family, I know your dream is to help Ethiopia. But I thought you should start helping your family first before you get worried about the poor Ethiopians. All of us if we contribute to our own family that would be the best help. But asking the people not to help our family is not a good Idea. Clinton is doing the thing that you should do. I appreciate Alamoudi for what he is doing, I hope you will wake up and try to help your country with what you can. If your ability is restricted on stiring the country not to get a peace and living on the poverty you are not Ethiopian. Ethiopians are in ethiopia not those who don’t care about how many people die of hunger, we are starving a bread not a spoiled politics.
Yea It is right question it needs right answer by concerned bodies. Please help ethiopians innocent people gambling on the name Ethiopian poor people.
Truly superb job. The lies and foundations that weyane built over many years can be debunked in minutes if we are united to advance the struggle against the tyrannt. Thank you very much for this letter!
Dear goraw
I think you are blind and Deaf, you have chosen not to see, or hear the cry of the Ethiopian people. how can you help your family while the role of the game is slowly being taken away from you by the current government, how can you build a business for your family without fear of that one day the government supporters will come and take it away from you, how can you?
You need to answer those questions to yourself and then you will be able to preach us all about helping our family first. I think you should standing with EPPF and be counted to free yourself, your family and then your country, our people are in fear to surviving one day to the other, let alone having a business or a good house, I think you need to get straight your head, before you start screaming, for more info about EPPF please go to http://www.eppfonline.org – this should bring to reality. Long live Ethiopia, the people of Ethiopian and EPPF.
Thank God Clinton did not win the presidency.Any ways the US is no longer the saver of the world.The US should try to save it self from melt down.May be ,may be the super dominance of the world economy by the US is over.That kind of unpresented throughing money every where is over.
The US will become a big UK.
I thank the group for this. But TPLF is not a ruler. I do not understand why some writers would like to use this word. TPLF (Woyane) is a mercenary that works againt Ethiopia. If we are seriously fighting against this criminal organisation We should not recognise it as government or ruler of Ethiopia.
Iwunet
God bless all of you who are responsible in writing this letter. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the voice for the voiceless. I hope you send this letter to all Republican Senators, so that they can bring this matter in the open.
If Sheik Mohamed Al Amudin is really innocent, why not he directly give the money to the poor who don’t have to eat? What is the need for giving the money for others who give on his behalf? It looks something that I cannot be justifiable.
I suggest a copy of this letter be sent to president Barak Obama and other influential congressmen and senators too. Otherwise he would never know what is going on between weyane and the state department.
Sheikh Al-Amoudi working for PM Zeynawi? Attempting to bribe American officials on behalf of the tplf? Or is it the other way around, the whole state of the minority regime in Ethiopia working for big Al?
This all is happening at the expense of the Ethiopian nations, peoples and nationalities
Wey Gud
All what Mr. Alamudin has done is helping Ethiopia and creating jobs for Ethiopians, and all what you do is name calling and spread smear and back bite. The so called Educated Ethiopians in diaspora who hide behind a computer and wanted to rule Ethiopia is the one who should be ashamed.
All you do is spread hate. Our so called well Educated Diaspora Ethiopians, please when you finish eating your Burgers don’t forget to pay for it. Dedeboch
ababa says:
God bless all of you who are responsible in writing this letter. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the voice for the voiceless. I hope you send this letter to all Republican Senators, so that they can bring this matter in the op
George: I agree with you, here is the list of each of 100 senators address:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Long Live Ethiopia
Bertu
TPLF is working around the clock to use the Al Amoudi
Companies for the purpose of money laundering. Recent developments warrant a serious investigation towards unravelling the unprecedented level of looting of the Ethiopian Treasury by the Woyane elite.
Al Amoudi whose pedigree suggests that his mother is a Tigre fully collaborates with the Tigrean crime family in corrupting Ethiopia and help buy political favor with those he sees fit his agenda.Let’s work hard to expose the Woyane conspiracy against Ethiopia and the strange bedfellow Al Amoudi.
If what is described is true, is there any way to make the news surface on at least one of the leading news papers in the US?
This issue has been a burning at the heart of the heart.
1) It is President Clinton who engineered and encouraged the application of ethnic based politics in many minority ruled countries of the world.
2) The Al-moudi huge contribution is an indirect lobbying machinery of Meles Zenawi
The former president’s affair with this regime in Ethiopia has been more damaging than his philanthropic engagement.
This is pathetic. I do not like the TPLF but leave Al Amoudi alone. It is his money, he did not make it on the back of Ethiopia. If he wishes to give to Clinton or throw it out into the ocean that is his business. When people I expect them to be at higher level of thinking get into childish warfare it truly makes me sad.
I do not know the guy and I am finacially doing very well and living in a rich country. There is and there will be nothing there out for me personally. Before you bark on the wrong tree I just wanted you to think through…
Great letter and very timely.
make sure that this letter is handed to his office in Harlem…otheriwse it will be discarded.
wow, now you are talking, this is a good letter if it ever get in the hands of the people addressed to. But still good attempt that might work in lesser possibilities.
God Bless Ethiopia and all citizens of the world.
I Thank Ethiopian-American human rights advocacy group. It is a great and well done statement. All Ethiopians support you keep working hard.
Mr.Mohamed Al-Amudin and his friend Malez Zenawi are criminals and we should bring them to justice.
Mohamed Al-Amudin is not a religion sheikh he is a money a sheikh. It is insulting to our great religion if we call him sheikh Al-Amudin. please, don’t call him a sheikh.
To Garra,
Shame on you. You are a very ignorant person. Who cares if Alamudi throws his money in the ocean or throw a party for your weeding, that is not the point the concerned Ethiopians are talking about. If you think about it, if Alamudi really wants to help Ethiopia,why does’nt he give his money for the millions starving people and the aid victims in Ethiopia, instead of bribing Americans. Any way. you don’t get it. You are so ignorant. This goes to Bekele too.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CONCERNED ETHIOPIANS WHO WROTE THE LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON.
This notorious rascal shiek,his dog Abinet and the rats around them will soon pay the price for corrupting underage girls, married women, looting the countries’ resources, using government infrastructure to attack their opponenets, allying with the EPRDF and particularly the broke drankard shiek is losing a big chunk of his commission from the Saudi Royal family because they are getting broke too. Plus his salary to support alkaida is not showing results in Ethiopia because he is busy sleeping around with teenage girls, boys and kids. At least these teenage kids are saving the country by helping to paralize this evil man. He is to hateful and full of inferiority complex because of his tigrayan and jemala heritage he is out on a spree of destroying any thing good in the country. Currently him and his dogs are using the tactic of attacking their opponents by using the principle of attacking the heart means by going against the marriage of their opponents. Alamoudi and Abinet are heard repeatedly saying lets ruin his marriage. Get his wife to divorce him and them give her a lavish wedding with another man. They do this by spending so much money. They even do have connections at tele to wire tap their opponenets phone. I like that because when it is too much they will get what they never expect.