U.S Sanctions Toward Ethiopia Aims to Undermine Elected Gov’t: Foreign Analysts

Addis Ababa November 5/2021 (ENA) The dangerous policy the U.S government is following toward Ethiopia aims at undermining the elected government by the will of people, according to experts.

Talking to OBN, Political Economy Analyst in Africa, Prof. Lawrence Freeman said all of the punitive measures are against the Ethiopian government not on the rebel force (TPLF) which will be harmful to the people.

“Right now the Western led by the United States and others is playing a very dangerous role because they continue to undermine Prime Minister Abiy. Then they feel possibly creating danger in Ethiopia having more conflicts with more ethnic rebel and insurrectionist attacking the government and want to see the breakup of Ethiopia.”

Ethiopia has an elected government, constitution and all of the regions of in the country signed on to the 1995 constitution which respects the government, he pointed out.

The long serving political economy analyst in Africa, Lawrence added that U.S should be supporting the government instead of giving tacit support to the TPLF and punishing Ethiopia.

“If it loses its longtime ally Ethiopia by turning it into an enemy, this would make U.S an irrelevant in large part of Africa,” Lawrence noted under the Presidency of Joe Biden for now 10 months is losing its influence in the Horn of Africa. 

Regarding the removal of Ethiopia from AGOA, he said “this would be the stupidest and most dangerous decision. If my country has any wisdom, many brains left in the Congress or the executive branch, we must immediately reverse this policy, eliminate the sanctions, we store AGOA and support the government under of Prime Minister Abiy."

That is what is necessary for the protection and wellbeing of not only Ethiopia but the whole of Africa, he added.

Though the TPLF has begun war, some international media has been involved in the campaign against Ethiopia from the very beginning; he said accusing that the media is not independent, objective and seekers of the truth.

International Security Expert, Prof. Ann Fitz Gerald on her part said the U.S threatened and placed sanctions on Ethiopia including removal from AGOA is to force the government to negotiate with the TPLF. 

“These are worrying developments because we're seeing punitive measures being launched towards one side of the party only,” she indicated.

According to her, the Ethiopian government is supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid since the war began in Tigray and tried to maintain a defensive posture against the cross border incursions of the TPLF which any national government is absolutely entitled to protect communities.

The Ethiopian people chosen their governments and are in no way interested in an oppressive dictatorial form of governance under the TPLF, she said.

“The U.S government is effectively ignoring the will of over one hundred and 10 million people that have voted for this pathway, who voted against the TPLF’s type of governance.”

On the other hand she said, we have seen is Westerner reluctance of their  media and humanitarian partners to work inside of Amhara region as they prioritizing armed insurgency.

“Youths are being killed, people of all ages are being killed, properties are being ransacked, businesses are being looted, the agricultural crop is being uprooted and taken back by the TPLF fighters.”

“We hope that the global community can issue its punitive measures towards the TPLF leaders,” she stressed.

Failure to act now very decisively in the Horn of Africa will only risk widening the terrifying feels that the TPLF is perpetrating.