Mr. Donald Y. Yamamoto,
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia,
Addis Ababa,
Dear Mr. Ambassador
To begin with, allow me to congratulate you on your new post as U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, which is my country of birth. Coincidentally, I’m writing from the beautiful Seattle, your hometown. Your assignment has obviously come at the most critical time for Ethiopia, a country at the crossroads of tyranny and democracy.
Tyranny because Ethiopia is threatened with an autocratic rule and democracy because there is still hope if great nations like the United States heed the cries and appeals of Ethiopians worldwide to help reverse the dangerous road being traded by the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and open a new vista for national reconciliation and dialogue.
After all, it was the U.S. State Department which still rekindled our hope when in May 2006 said: “The need for the release of political detainees and…. urge the government and opposition groups to continue their constructive dialogue, which is the only way of reconciling Ethiopia’s political differences.”
Despite the appeal, nothing has changed as far as the policy of Mr. Zenawi is concerned. On the contrary, hundreds of elected officials with thousands of their supporters, journalists and civic society members are still languishing in jails. An Inquiry Commission whose members were handpicked by the ruling EPRDF party and established by parliamentary proclamation concluded that the “government used excessive force and killed registered 193 citizens.” I even had a personal chance to learn the saddening details from the two members of the commission while they briefed the Ethiopian community in an overcrowded hall here in Seattle. Against all odds, the Meles regime remains stubborn and is very likely to pass a guilty ruling against the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP-Kinijit) leaders, journalists and civil rights workers.
Dear Ambassador Yamamoto,
When the United States turns a blind eye to the calls of over 70 million Ethiopians, the U.S. is turning a blind eye to a sizeable part of Africa in favor of a dictator As a result, an increasing number of Ethiopian-Americans are giving up hope on the US promise of stand for democratization. Many even consider it a double standard. I personally believe that the American foreign policy on Ethiopia is shortsighted. There is a critical role and unique opportunity for you as an Ambassador. It is to the best interest of the US to stand for a genuine democratic process in Ethiopia, which is highly symbolic to the volatile Horn of Africa region. It is a public secret to ask the level of pressure your administration can exert on the Meles regime! On the other side of the coin, I wonder why policy analysts fail to see the irreversible political landscape of Ethiopia after the May 2005 Election. The Ethiopian people have voted not only for a mere regime change but also for an absolute desire to make democracy a way of governance for the present and future generations of the country.
Mr. Ambassador,
A widely circulating story of your involvement to resolve the impasse between the Meles government and leaders of CUDP at Kiliti Prison is praiseworthy, provided such involvement or mediation is in the interests of justice – i.e. the interests of the Ethiopian people.
But here it is noteworthy what a senior Ethiopian supreme court judge, Teshale Aberra, said about Meles after he fled Ethiopia for fear of government reprisal: “Meles kills and asks back ‘Who is the killer’?”
The public expects you to identify the problem first and steer clear of any ‘inadvertent’ help to tyranny that is trying to fictitiously prove CUD leaders are guilty of ‘treason’ and ‘attempted genocide.’ Any accusations, and the concomitant ‘guilty verdict’ against CUD leaders, journalists and civil rights workers is nothing less than declaring war on the Ethiopian people themselves on the one hand and assuring Mr. Zenawi the status of “President-for-Life” on the other – in a country that is being systematically impoverished.
Mr. Ambassador,
As independent observers have time and again reiterated, there cannot be any alternative solution to the crisis without guaranteeing the unconditional release of the CUD leaders, and calling for a national reconciliation conference involving all stake holders. In the meantime, considering the following points on your part may also contribute significantly to the reign of peace and stability in the country:
Help to bring about a genuinely negotiated political settlement and secure the unconditional release of CUD leaders and many other political prisoners.
Help facilitating a national reconciliation effort comprising the ruling party and the opposition both inside and outside of the country.
Help the U.S. government to adopt a people-friendly foreign policy away from aiding dictators for short-term interests.
Help secure lasting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa by living up to the interests of the millions of the people and not the ruling elite.
I thank you very much for your consideration.
God Bless Ethiopian-America friendship!
Respectfully,
Muluneh Yohannes
Seattle, Washington [email protected]
