October 29, 2022
In my most recent statement (see below) published by ENA on Oct 29, I discuss the intention of U.S. Envoy, Mike Hammer as a participant, not an observer, in the African Union led pace talks in South Africa. It appears that the U.S. is engaged in trying to pressure PM Abiy Ahmed to accept some legitimate role for the TPLF in Ethiopia’s future. The U.S. may also be trying to prevent the disarming of the TPLF, preserving their existence as an armed ethno-nationalist army. If this were to be accepted, the TPLF and other armed ethno-nationalist armies, could continually deploy to destabilize Ethiopia. Essentially, making Ethiopia ungovernable, thus denying Ethiopians the opportunity to build a prosperous nation
Watch interview below with Hermela on Day 3 (Oct 27) of Peace Talks in South Africa
Hermela and I had a wide ranging and provocative discussion on the Ethiopian peace talks in South Africa that included such topics as; oligarchism, geopolitics, democracy, creativity, ethnicity, Horn of Africa, the rules based order, the goals of the U.S. involvement in the peace talks, the future of Ethiopia, and more.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton
I have been wondering when we will have the privilege of hearing the indomitable voice of Mr.Lawrence! Many Thanks for exposing the unfair position the US government has taken on the war being waged on Ethiopia by a succession group backed by traditional adversaries and former friends turned vehement enemies. What is most alarming is the position of the US administration that has turned a blind eye towards the trampling of the most precious and exemplary values that gave her the title of the land of the free and the home of the brave. How in the world can one imagine the US tolerating a war to over throw a democratically elected government, marching thousands of underaged boys and girls to war (most of them unarmed) looting emergency supplies of food and fuel for a starving population, burning, looting and murdering of innocent people in neighboring territories, burning religious monasteries, shooting domestic animals belonging to famished peasants? If America is to regain her stature as the conscience of the world it needs to return to her roots: fairness, generosity, democratic ideals and honor. What is America with the absence of every honorable values we grew up that defined the land of the free and the brave?
Thank you Lawrence for pointing out the US’s intention resuscitating the TPLF, which is at the last breath of its life at the battlefront. The US is losing the slightest trust it had in Africa today. In the Ethiopian case, it is demonstrating the highest level of foreign policy failure supporting a terrorist entity. Mike Hammer’s mission is nothing else other than making a last ditch attempt to save the TPLF at expense of the basic rights of Ethiopians in general and Tigreans in particular.
We should take notice of the suffering of Tigreans in the hands of the TPLF denying them any opposing viewpoints and using food as weapon of gaining support for the last three decades. Now, as the Federal Government is taking the upper hand militarily within Tigray, the US is engaging in a frantic effort to reverse the gains of the Federal Government using the threat of sanctions as expressed by the US envoy at the UNSC. However, Ethiopians cannot bow down to any threat, come what may.
Tedla Haile