Page 53 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Leadership

benefits from U.S. anti-Ethiopian Survive? It should be understood frightening to all Africans.
measures. that this is the magazine of the The authors propose a transitional
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), government, which again includes
On the same day, November 2, the premiere think-tank of the An- the removal of Prime Minister Abiy.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of glo American Establishment. Every It also calls for greater ethnic auton-
Africa, Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. President has been advised by omy, a hardening of ethnic iden-
amplified President Biden’s threat in the CFR, and often accept person- tities, rather than forging a unified
his speech in Washington DC. In his nel they recommend for cabinet Ethiopian identity. They write:
speech, Feltman only refers to “the positions. Only select articles are
growing crisis in Ethiopia’s north- published by the CFR, and this “The only solution is to pursue a negotiated
ern state of Tigray,” conspicuously one has qualified in part because settlement that secures at least some buy-in
omitting that the conflict erupted it articulates possible scenarios for from the leaders of the TPLF and the
after TPLF militarily attacked the Ethiopia’s future that include regime OLA…At a minimum, its leaders would
Federal government’s army base change. hope to press their current military ad-
in Mekele, Tigray. He laments the vantage and demand reinstatement as the
famine-like conditions in Tigray, The authors, in typical patroniz- regional government, greater autonomy for
and criticizes the use of food as ing language, question Ethiopia’s the region…If the TPLF ends up joining
a weapon, but then proceeds to existence as a sovereign nation, and forces with the OLF…their demands are
endorse the U.S. use of AGOA as a assert that if Ethiopia is to survive, also likely to include the removal of
weapon. He concludes that Ethi- it will have to produce “a reason for Abiy himself and the formation
opia has only “days, not weeks” to its existence.” They also falsely claim of a transitional government.”
obey the instructions from Wash- that Ethiopia’s national elections (Emphasis added)
ington. Only in parentheses does were “neither free nor fair,” contrary
Feltman meekly comment that the to all official observers. I have warned since the outbreak
U.S. also “insists TPLF stop its mili- of this conflict about the intent of
tary advance.” However, no punish- The article continues, proposing regime change, which devotees of
ment or threats have been issued by four possible outcomes of the geo-politically diseased thinking,
the U.S. against the insurrectionists current conflict, all of which will believe will eliminate the resistance
commensurate with those leveled weaken the Ethiopian nation-state to their designs on the region.
against the government of Prime and endanger the Horn of Africa.
Minister Abiy . We are now entering the second
First, a victory over the Ethiopian decade since the same cast of char-
Feltman, like the rest of the Biden army, (which they allege is collaps- acters currently advising President
administration, exposes his disin- ing) by the TPLF and Oromo Liber- Biden, previously in the Obama
genuousness, when he says, “We do ation Army. Secondly, a negotiated administration, implemented regime
not want Ethiopia to lose its AGOA settlement, which would not endure. change in Libya, assassinating Pres-
trade benefits or international Thirdly, a prolonged military stale- ident Kaddafi. Hundreds of thou-
economic assistance,” but President mate between the government of sands of Africans, if not millions,
Biden announced that is exactly Ethiopia and the two rebel forces. living in the Sahel have suffered as
what he intends. If Ethiopia yields a result of this geo-political adven-
to U.S. intimidation, the alleged Fourthly, under the subhead: Abiy turism. Obama said he was sorry,
concerns about Ethiopia violating could join the growing list of and it was a mistake. That is not an
AGOA “statutory eligibility” will recently deposed African leaders, acceptable excuse.
magically disappear, making clear the authors speculate that “Abiy
that the revocation of AGOA is [would be] removed from his position, We cannot let President Biden
being used as a bludgeon to force likely by his own military officers.” follow in the deadly footsteps of his
Ethiopia to submit. predecessor. Let our voices resonate
Suggesting a palace coup of the throughout the U.S., Africa, and
Regime Change on the Agenda? elected Prime Minister of the around the world: no regime change
second largest nation in Africa, in Ethiopia!
Foreign Affairs magazine published with over 110 million people, the
on November 5, an article with the only SSA nation never colonized, is
inflammatory title: Can Ethiopia extremely dangerous and should be

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