Saturday, January 22, 2022

Two Extreme Views of US Policy in Ethiopia

The two positions below offer extreme and diametrically opposed views of the Biden administration policy in Ethiopia. 

Foreign Policy published on 28 December 2021 a commentary titled "To End Ethiopia's War, Biden Needs to Correct Course" by Bronwyn Bruton, Atlantic Council, and Ann Fitz-Gerald, Balsillie School of International Affairs.  

The authors argue that Washington needs to subdue its nostalgia for the "TPLF dictatorship" and embrace, instead, Ethiopia's transition to a fragile post-conflict democracy.  It needs to stop blaming Abiy Ahmed for decades of pent-up ethnic animosities and acknowledge that some part of this war is due to its own previous actions.  Washington should call for the surrender of the TPLF.    

 Ethiopia Insight published on 22 January 2022 a commentary titled "The US Is Pushing for Peace in Ethiopia, But It Needs to Do More" by Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Medical University of South Carolina.

The author argues that the US has not taken strong enough actions against the Ethiopian government of Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean government of Isaias Afwerki.  Washington should impose an arms embargo and make a genocide determination for atrocities committed in Tigray Region.