“We would like to repeat the advice we often heard during each of our tenures in your country: Ethiopia needs a national dialogue designed to bring together all sectors of society.”
Source: The Reporter
Four retired US ambassadors to Ethiopia write an open letter to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) stating their concerns about recent political developments in the country.
The letter sent exclusively to The Reporter is signed by Ambassadors David Shinn, Aurelia Brazeal, Vicki Huddleston, and Patricia Haslach.
The full content of the letter is presented below.
Open Letter to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from retired U.S. Ambassadors to Ethiopia
January 21, 2021
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
We are former ambassadors who have served in Ethiopia during various political crossroads, and each of us are forever inspired by the resilience and principles of the Ethiopian people. At present, we are deeply concerned about the stability and future of Ethiopia, and so have taken the liberty to write to you about our concerns.
We have watched the conflict in Tigray with grave unease as, according to the United Nations, nearly 60,000 refugees have fled to Sudan, 2.2 million people have been displaced, and 4.5 million people need emergency assistance, many of whom are without adequate food. We are also worried about the reported presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray, which could jeopardize Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.
We are concerned about the worsening ethnic tensions throughout the country, reflected in the proliferation of hate speech and rising ethnic and religious violence. Based on our time in your country, this growing violence seems to us to be contrary to Ethiopia’s long-standing tradition of tolerance for diverse religions and ethnicities.
It is our hope, Mr. Prime Minister, that your government will ensure the protection of civilians, the independent investigation of human rights violations, and unrestricted access for the United Nations and other relief agencies. We would like to repeat the advice we often heard during each of our tenures in your country: Ethiopia needs a national dialogue designed to bring together all sectors of society. We wish you and every Ethiopian the very best.
Sincerely,
Hon. David H. Shinn
Ambassador: July 1996-August 1999
Hon. Aurelia E. Brazeal
Ambassador: November 2002-September 2005
Hon. Vicki J. Huddleston
Chargé d’Affaires: September 2005-November 2006
Hon. Patricia M. Haslach
Ambassador: September 2013-August 2016
Dear former ambassadors to Ethiopia. Thank you for your concerns. The presence of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil is entirely the business of Ethiopia. You must tealixe that treating Africans as uc we were children patronising and insulting. If yoj showed as much concern for the black prisoners of the USA and your revocation of torture that you have exacted from people of African descent in your own country then black people might begin to regard your concerns as morally based, instead of sanctimonious and interfering old white men who have selective memories, and think it yoir right to lecture to us. It was you who supported war between Eritrea and Ethiopia over the years and after 5000 years of shared history Ethiopia and z Eritrea are once again brothers and sisters.
You are nothing but imbecile. Gash, your brain must be ful of trash.
The USA has a militant organisation called the KKK. They have failed to outlaw it in 200 years of its existence. Nahom, you are just another sand nigga with sand nigga mentality. You like licking the white man’s asss hole . If you had a brain it would be filled with sand
U know that u mean leave the Eritrean troop and support their crime what they have done in tigray collabrate with your bullshit fota lebash kkkkk
It is time up now Tigray declared its independence
u fota lebash your life is almost end
With all ethiopian ethnicity we make history.
The Europeans are clever people. They say the state can loose its arms; its feet. It’s toes and fingers bbut never its heart. The Tigrayans are illegal combatants and deserve all they get. Ethiopia us not for breaking up. Let the Scots hold a referendum and shoot at British troops and de and the nuclear deterrent taken from Scotland. All the white countries will descend on it and pick it clean. You are typically dumb fcukers falling into the hands of Egypt and your Arab masters. Ark if what fcuking covenant. Eritrea gas vast resources, Kenya Somalia. Egypt wasn’t to xedtabalide the centre. Fcuking dumb east Africans.
What you saying is bullshit!
“The presence of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil is entirely the business of Ethiopia”- Hey man, are you nuts? They are not tourists! They are perpetuating #genocide among us and as such it is Internationl issue.
“torture that you have exacted from people of African” – that was another day in a very long ago time. Mistakes happened all along past history. American history shares many of those mistakes; By the way – remember – #amhara were doing unimagineable atrocities on the majority of #ethiopians atthe same time. Isn’t what you are doing like throwing what you – #amhara – are experts at on other people?
#usa is doing its best to re-dress its past mistakes while you – the #amhars – are trying to redo your past atrocities again in this modern time.
Past is past; we are not after you for your past atrocities. We extend our hands to you and say let us live togather in harmoney. And see what you are doing – insulting the people who are saving us from ourselves! Shame on you – this is very UNETHIOPIAN!
This is a new era of equality and justice. We thank #usa, #eu, #england and all other humanterian organizations for priceless assistance they are offering us in these days of darkness. We welcome and heed thier advice; They have been through similar problems in thier past and as such we recogonize thier advice for what it really is – a priceless guide to equality and justice – the prerequirment for FEDERAL ETHIOPIA living togather in harmony!
The wish of over majority of #ethiopians.
The Eritrean army raped a number of nuns in the monasteries of Adigrat in Tigray region.
Uncivilized Eritrean soldiers kill the women in Tigray and then rape their dead body.
I think it is high time and good idea to Ethiopia Gov’t arrange a dialogue with the regional transitional gov’t and with the people of Tigray living in the country. But no need to ask permission from Mr Martin P because we will never forget how this man was arrested due to aligned children sexual abuse while escaping from the country through AA terminal.
Even this I can’t argue with. It is an adult talking not a fcuking child.
Good Asante. At last an adult talk from u too. Let us continue from here.
Well put Altaye. I agree. We, the #ethiopians, alone should have a dialog right now.
The atrocities that are taking place in the 21st Century is appalling. There are massacres, tortures, rapes, looting, abductions and destructions of of century old manuscripts and artifacts. To think that this is an internal issue is unacceptable. When something like this take place, there should not be a boundary for a needy intervention. What is happening in Tigrai meeting Article 2 of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.
“Ethiopia needs a national dialogue designed to bring together all sectors of society.” This is a superb advice from some one who has your interest at his heart!
There is no parallel one for the solution of our current #ethiopian problems. We - the marginalized people – heed this precious advice and thank from our hearts the esteemed Ambassadors for it.
On the other hand #amhara elites, like Nahom ( see the above non sense comment ) and their puppet #abiy is opposing this sane advice to the point of waging a #genocide on part of #ethiopia - #tigreregion. The reason behind this summarized is as follows – to my understanding.
• This so called, #amhara puppet #abiy is obsessed with power. It is said that his mother foretold him that he will have his kingdom one day; his plane is to make #ethiopia his kingdom. As such he can’t bear any possible candidate for his position. #tigrepeople have many sons and daughters that are fit way more than him to lead the country.
• #amhara elite ( the real source of the problem of #ethiopia ) want to reverse the wheel of history by returning #ethiopia to the imperial era with its false #ethiopian narrative and hence to their past superiority.
Read here about the false virtual reality they were obsessed with over hundreds’ of years.
http://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2020/12/18/the-war-on-tigray-a-multi-pronged-assault-driven-by-genocidal-undercurrents/
The premises behind their reasoning is that
• The rest of #ethiopians are their sheep as usual
• As they are the only English speakers – an educational chance they usurped during their reign and as they are the only ones in the hundreds’ of thousands in the #usa – they will tell blah blah to the western countries and they will all be in their hands.
It is ok to do #genocide.
What a false premises! Don’t they know that 2021 is the year of peace and harmony as predicted by the scholars of the world . Don’t they know the moto of the democracy champions – the great #usa – is equality and justice all over the world!!!
No wonder. Long time ago it has been said that “ Education makes the fool fooler”
Very Sorry. Made mistake where I say ” like Nahom” . That was a typo. Please change like Nahom to like MERENPTAH ASANTE.
Thanks
By the way, is there a way to edit an already posted comment?
Thanks
The honourable ambassadors did the honourable thing. The problem is that Abiy Ahmed and his mentor Isaias Afwerki don’t understand the value of institutions, the value of their citizens. For them, everything revolves around their power.
Gross Human Rights Abuses are taking place in Tigray. Human being naturally challenge inhumane acts such as this. Therefore, the good ambassadors deserve GRATITUDE.
Ethiopians should hold Abiy Ahmed accountable for his TREASONOUS acts in Tigray. He allowed Eritrean army to operate at whim: to kill, destroy and loot with impunity. He blocked every means of communication and food supply to starve the population. All amounts to WAR CRIME.
Abiy Ahmed is also responsible for the genocidal killings in other parts of Ethiopia.
The Security Council should take a bold stand on this matter.
I agree 100%. Thanks
What you saying is bullshit!
“The presence of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil is entirely the business of Ethiopia”- Hey man, are you nuts? They are not tourists! They are perpetuating #genocide among us and as such it is Internationl issue.
“torture that you have exacted from people of African” - that was another day in a very long ago time. Mistakes happened all along past history. American history shares many of those mistakes; By the way - remember - #amhara were doing unimagineable atrocities on the majority of #ethiopians atthe same time. Isn’t what you are doing like throwing what you - #amhara - are experts at on other people?
#usa is doing its best to re-dress its past mistakes while you - the #amhars - are trying to redo your past atrocities again in this modern time.
Past is past; we are not after you for your past atrocities. We extend our hands to you and say let us live togather in harmoney. And see what you are doing - insulting the people who are saving us from ourselves! Shame on you - this is very UNETHIOPIAN!
This is a new era of equality and justice. We thank #usa, #eu, #england and all other humanterian organizations for priceless assistance they are offering us in these days of darkness. We welcome and heed thier advice; They have been through similar problems in thier past and as such we recogonize thier advice for what it really is - a priceless guide to equality and justice - the prerequirment for FEDERAL ETHIOPIA living togather in harmony!
The wish of over majority of #ethiopians.
Sorry this is a repitition.
Thanks