Page 51 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 17

Leadership

from a generation of foreign policy ary policies for economic develop- pia would then be held hostage to
fiascos that led to the deaths of ment to raise the standard of living the demands of other rebel ethnic
hundreds of thousands of our fel- for its more than 118 million people. insurgents, and separatist gangs that
low human beings and the suffering The shameful and blatant failure by want to see its demise. This would
of tens of millions? Not a single both the Biden and Trump presi- in effect lead to the dismemberment
stable nation has emerged from this dencies to celebrate and endorse the of the Ethiopian nation-state. Given
armed belligerent adventurism of progress of the Grand Ethiopian Ethiopia’s rigid ethnic divisions, in-
the last two decades. Renaissance Dam (GERD)—a dam ternal war would emerge with ethnic
for development, indicates how far regions fighting each other, leading
Contrary to President Biden’s ex- America has drifted from our repub- to tens of millions of Ethiopians
ecutive order, the real interests of lican principles. The generation of migrating to seek safer refuge. There
America do not lie in the current 6,200 megawatts of electricity to is no way this mass movement of
U.S. policy of weakening Prime power the Ethiopian and neighbor- people catalyzed by the collapse of
Minister Abiy’s democratically elect- ing economies of East Africa is pre- the Ethiopian nation-state would
ed government and giving tacit sup- cisely the development strategy that not affect the stability of the region.
port to the Tigray People’s Libera- is required and should be emulated The total population of Ethiopia
tion Front (TPLF). If a rebel group by other African nations. and its bordering nations combined
attacked, raided, and killed soldiers is 255 million Africans: Ethio-
at the U.S. Marine Corps Base at The Perils of Weakening the Na- pia-118.5 million, Kenya-55 mil-
Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, tion-State lion, Somalia-16 million, Sudan-45
would there be any question regard- million, South Sudan-11 million,
ing the appropriate response by the Thus far, the sovereign nation-state Eritrea-3.6 million, Somaliland-5.7
U.S. government. is the most efficacious form of million, Djibouti-1 million. Two or-
government created by humankind ders of magnitude greater than the
Ignorance by U.S. politicians of to apply the laws of the universe population of Tigray, which could
the historically complex cloth that to society over successive future be engulfed in war, chaos, and acute
holds Ethiopian society and culture generations. hunger, if the government of Prime
together is no excuse for the current Minister Abiy were to collapse.
mindless and perilous policy of With the ongoing horrors of what This level of volatility from mass
sanctions. has been done to the Sahel and migration would lead an increase in
North Africa, through the reck- the spread of disease and violent
In fact, the true interests of the less regime change of Libya, in extremism.
U.S. are entrenched in its republi- our minds, let us look anew at the
can principles. The U.S. should be impending dangers to Ethiopia Thus, contrary to his stated aim,
supporting nation-states abroad that and Africa today. And lets us be President Biden’s sanctions regime
are committed to improving the mindful that same cast of advisors would in fact endanger the security
conditions of life of their citizens, that drove the policy to create the of the U.S. by creating the potential
as enshrined in the preamble to the current failed state of Libya are for massive instability in the Horn
U.S. Constitution: presently holding leading positions of Africa where almost 20% of the
“We the People of the United in the Biden administration. continent’s inhabitants reside.
States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice, Only fools, knaves, and madmen Is this what President Biden wishes
insure domestic Tranquility, provide would dare intervene into a legiti- to be his legacy in Africa? From
for the common defence, promote mate nation-state. the classical Greek dramatists we
the general Welfare, and secure the learn, “Whom the gods would
Blessings of Liberty to ourselves Horn of Africa Endangered destroy they first make mad.” Let
and our Posterity, do ordain and this ancient warning penetrate the
establish this Constitution for the If the U.S. and the West succeed in foolishness of those formulating
United States of America.” (Empha- forcing Ethiopia to negotiate with U.S. policy today. When evil appears
sis added) the TPLF as equivalents, or try to as good, in the mind of our leaders,
force some type of coalition gov- civilization is threatened.
Ethiopia, an emerging nation, is ernment, the consequences could
unique in Africa with its bold vision- be catastrophic for Africa. Ethio-

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