INTERVIEW
Ambassador David H. Shinn U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia
By Yohannes Assefa, September 1998
Discussing the status of the U.S. effort to resolve the current Ethio-Eritrea conflict Mr. Shinn says, “the United States, more than any other individual country, has worked hard to defuse this crisis and bring it to a peaceful resolution… efforts continue behind the scenes at a high level to bring this matter to a peaceful resolution.” He adds that “Not only was I surprised by the current conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, but virtually everyone with whom I have been in contact in the region was equally surprised, even shocked.”
Ambassador Shinn was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia on June 17, 1996. He is well versed in the political history of Ethiopia and the neighboring countries. Prior to assuming his current position, Ambassador Shinn served as Director of the Office of East African Affairs and the State Department Coordinator for Somalia.
Ambassador Shinn, perhaps more than any other American ambassador to Ethiopia in recent memory has been an ardent advocate of U.S. foreign aid and investment to Ethiopia. Ethiopia has become the largest sub-Saharan U.S. foreign aid recipient. Furthermore, in the last two years, direct trade between the U.S. and Ethiopia has substantially increased, and further efforts are being made to expand the fledgling trade between the two countries.
Early this summer, Ambassador Shinn toured major U.S. cities, including Washington, DC, to inform and encourage potential investors the immense potential and possibilities the country holds for U.S. investors. Nevertheless, his failure to condemn human rights abuse in the country has been criticized by human rights activists and Ethiopian opposition parties alike.
Mr. Sheen is currently faced with the daunting task of averting an almost imminent war between Ethiopia and Eritrean regime.
Below is the full content of the interview.
Q. As an Africanist and a man with a well regarded academic knowledge of the region, were you surprised by the current conflict between the governments in Ethiopia and Eritrea?
A. Thank you for the compliments. Not only was I surprised by the current conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, but virtually everyone with whom I have been in contact in the region was equally surprised, even shocked. I am not aware of anyone who predicted this conflict although several individuals did point out years ago the possibility of disagreement over delineation of the Ethiopian-Eritrean border. They may even have suggested that eventually there could be conflict between the two countries. Nevertheless, there was a common assumption that any disagreement concerning the border would be worked out amicably by the leadership in both countries. With the benefit of hindsight, it is apparent that the conflict involves more than just a border dispute. All of us who follow events in the region and relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea need to review how we analyzed a series of relatively minor disagreements and how the totality of these disagreements resulted in a full-scale crisis.
Q. It is a well known fact that the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea are staunch allies of the U.S. in the region. Has this close friendship complicated your efforts to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner? Why has the U.S. failed to use its influence to stop the war? Can the U.S. do anything to stop the war?
A. The United States, more than any other individual country, has worked hard to defuse this crisis and bring it to a peaceful resolution. The efforts of the U.S./Rwandan facilitation team and the personal involvement of Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice, in the early days of the conflict constituted an extraordinary initiative. Rarely in recent times, has an Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, accompanied by a number of senior American officials knowledgeable about the region, devoted so much time and energy in an effort to resolve an African crisis. At a number of critical points President Clinton intervened in the dispute and was successful in encouraging a moratorium on air strikes which has continued to the present day. Through its embassies in Addis Abeba and Asmera the United States has worked unceasingly as a neutral party to bring the Eritreans and Ethiopians together. In early September, General Tony Zinni, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command, paid a visit to both countries as part of our effort to encourage a peaceful solution. U.S. efforts continue behind the scenes at a high level to bring this matter to a peaceful resolution.
The close friendship of the United States with Ethiopia and Eritrea has not complicated our efforts to resolve the problem. On the other hand, it is exceedingly difficult for a third party to propose a solution satisfactory to both parties on a highly emotional problem and not, on occasion, run afoul of both protagonists. This is a risk we are willing to take to preserve peace. Should it be possible to end the matter without war, it will have been well worth the effort.
Q. Recently the governments of Egypt and Ethiopia renewed their contact with the government of Sudan. Has the Ethio-Eritrean conflict affected the U.S. government’s efforts to contain and isolate the government of Sudan?
A. The United States continues to be deeply troubled by a number of policies conducted by the National Islamic Front government in Khartoum. These include its refusal to bring an end to the war in the south, a poor human rights record and support for terrorist groups which are permitted to operate in Sudan. The United States continues to take steps to deal with these problems. The Ethiopian-Eritrean dispute has not had any significant impact on these efforts.
Q. In your own assessment, what is the current condition of human rights in Ethiopia?
A. Unfortunately, this article does not provide adequate space to answer this question in sufficient detail. I would recommend that you read out latest Human Rights Report for a detailed review of this complex topic. In the past seven years, this government has taken significant steps to reverse the abominable human rights record of the previous government. There is today an active private press. A fledgling parliament is slowly becoming a stronger institution of government. There has been progress in increasing the capacity of an independent judiciary. Some protest groups have been permitted to express publicly their opposition to government policies. At the same time, there is room for significantly more progress in these and other areas. The senior leadership of Ethiopia acknowledges this need for further improvement.
Q. What has been the most glaring failure or success of the current government in this regard?
A. While I have been impressed with government efforts to achieve sustainable economic development, in my view, the greatest success has been the totality of its effort to move towards democratization and to improve human rights in a relatively short period of time. If one looks back on the efforts of the United States to adopt and implement democratic procedures and policies and to improve human rights practices, you will see that it took the United States far longer than seven years to overcome many serious problems. I do not believe there is any such thing as instant democracy or the immediate end of all human rights abuses. This process takes time to be fully accepted at the top levels of government and then filter down to the mid and lower levels of central, regional, zonal and district governments and the security forces which support them. I believe the two areas which still require the most improvement are the need to increase the capacity of the independent judiciary to ensure due process and to find ways to deal more appropriately with private journalists who run afoul of a very strict press law. In addition, it is time to begin now to lay the ground work for free and fair elections in the year 2000.
Q.
Most often, international and local human rights organizations have been disappointed by the U.S. government’s muted response to numerous blatant and outrageous acts of human rights violations. Recently, at the Freedom Forum’s gathering in Rosslyn, Virginia, when asked about the U.S.’s lack of interest and response with regards to human rights violation in Ethiopia, you said, “some times the best way to persuade friends is by letting them know our views in private, and not by publicly scolding them.” Has this muted policy of engagement worked in curtailing human rights violations in Ethiopia?
A. I continue to believe that the most effective way of working with the government on human rights concerns is to do so largely in private. It is also important to help the government build up its own capacity for dealing with issues of democratization and human rights abuses. As a result, the United States supports training for members of the judiciary throughout Ethiopia. We were supportive of the conference which took place in Addis Abeba in the spring of 1998 on developing a National Human Rights Commission and Office of the Ombudsman.
The United States has been vocal in its support of non-governmental organizations and continues to provide funding for a number of these organizations, both indigenous and international. The United States funds certain activities of Ethiopia’s parliament and offers a number of training programs both in Ethiopia and the United States aimed at increasing the awareness of the need for democratization and improved human rights practices. We have even conducted such programs with elements of the Ethiopian military. Your readers can, of course, read each year the USG analysis of the human rights situation in Ethiopia and every other country in the world in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices prepared for the U.S. Congress.
Q. Is there freedom of the press in Ethiopia?
A. There are numerous private and independent daily, weekly and monthly publications in Ethiopia today. Television is controlled by the government. Radio is under the authority of the government or the ruling party. The written media have opened up significantly in the past seven years. Strictly speaking, there is freedom of the written press in Ethiopia although there continue to be areas for improvement in the handling of those journalists who are detained or arrested for violating the Press Law.
Q. How do you view the so-called “Press Law” which has been the vehicle to arbitrarily beat, harass, and jail members of the free press?
A. First, I am not personally aware that members of the independent press have been beaten. Significant numbers have in recent years been arrested or detained under the Press Law, which gives wide scope to the government to arrest individuals. The United States has expressed its concerns in the annual Human Rights Report on the arrest of representatives of the independent press and whether they have been accorded due process under Ethiopian law. We continue to view this as an area in need of improvement. At the same time, I would point out that some pretty outrageous material is published in the Ethiopian independent press. The question is whether one should ignore this material or arrest the journalists and editors under the Press Law. If legal action is initiated, it should be seen as fair and in accordance with the constitution.
Q. Year after year, Ethiopia is mentioned as the “worst enemy of the free press in the world” along with other notorious dictatorships. What can the U.S. do to help protect members of the free press and nurture the development of the free press in Ethiopia?
A. The United States has worked hard to increase the professionalism of both the government and the independent press in Ethiopia. As the press becomes more professional, I believe there will be less tendency to arrest members of the independent press. The United States Information Service, in particular, has gone out of its way to provide training to both government and private journalists. Professionalism in all elements of journalism is the key to reducing tension between the government and the independent press. At the same time, it is critical that the government exercise due process whenever it arrests a member of the independent media. I also hope the day will come when the government finds itself able to ignore scurrilous allegations in the private press on the grounds that most readers don’t pay serious attention to them. An educated readership will reduce the receptivity to media which are less than professional. Ethiopia’s emphasis on increased education and U.S. support for this effort can have a long term positive impact.
Q. Finally, do you have any message to convey to our readers?
A. I appreciate the opportunity to communicate with your readers. Judging by a number of your questions, I assume that some of your readership is critical of the government in Ethiopia and perhaps of U.S. policy in Ethiopia. I am pleased to be able to respond to some of the concerns of the editors and hope that my answers address objectively the issues that you raise.
On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years plus in Ethiopia. My acquaintance with Ethiopia dates back to 1969 when I was the Assistant Desk Officer for Ethiopia in the Department of State. I have worked many years in East Africa and the Horn of Africa and on issues related to this region in Washington. This is my seventh posting in Africa; I can say in all honesty that it has been far and away the most challenging of my assignments. There is a tendency by Ethiopians, either in government or out of government, to view policies and opinions as being entirely in favor of their position or entirely opposed to their position. Unlike the United States, there is not much room for middle ground. I have also found during my time in Ethiopia that there is very little room for tactical or strategic error as we develop U.S. policy toward Ethiopia. These factors have made my job particularly demanding, and on occasion even painful. But if I didn’t like challenges, I wouldn’t be here.
Ethiopia is historically one of the most fascinating countries in the world. I have developed a personal library of almost 400 books on Ethiopia which I continue to work my way through. I am captivated by the rich diversity of ethnic groups and their ability to interact in a generally harmonious fashion. Ethiopia is a country of enormous physical beauty. I have visited every region in Ethiopia, most on several occasions. I have also visited all but ten zones of Ethiopia and I hope to visit those remaining before I complete my tour here. The people of Ethiopia have been wonderfully hospitable to my wife and me during our assignment. In sum, I deeply enjoy the country and its people.
My one big hope is that war can be avoided between Ethiopia and Eritrea so that both countries can focus all of their energy on economic development. I sincerely wish that relations between the peoples of both countries will once again be friendly and cordial.
______________________________
Yohannes Assefa is a contributing editor of ER. He is currently in Boston working on his Juris Doctorate at Northeastern University School of Law.
A news and opinion journal on Ethiopia
HOME | PUBLISHER | ER FORUM | JOIN E-MAIL LIST | SUPPORT ER