Diaspora stage rallies to mobilize US, UN support to Ethiopia

  • Voter Voice campaign eyes U.S. policy makers

 BY TEWODROS KASSA & YOHANES JEMANEH

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States have staged public rallies to inform global players including the US government and the UN about the objective reality of their home country and to get the former’s support apart from conducting Voters Voice Campaign.

One of the coordinators of public rallies, Genet Nigussie told The Ethiopian Herald that the community held demonstration in Washington, D.C. yesterday to call for the U.S. government to refrain from meddling in Ethiopia’s domestic affairs.

The Diaspora is also staging rally in New York today in a bid to voice concern about the current wrong stance of some members of the UN.

The community also made an appeal to the U.S. and the UN to extend support to Ethiopian government to overcome the existing and emerging problems the country has been encountered.

Genet stated that the demonstration took place on 10 March before the headquarters of US State Department with the active participation of Ethiopians, U.S.’s citizens of Ethiopian origin, Eritreans and other friend of Ethiopia.

As to her, the recent statement made by U.S. State Secretary and UN’s attempt to interfere in Ethiopia’s internal affairs is unacceptable.’ Also, the demonstration that was held before the headquarters of the U.S. State Department aimed to communicating Ethiopia’s defiance to such interventions.

The UN Security Council had also a meeting last week and planned to hold further discussion to push Ethiopia’s government to confer with TPLF which doesn’t exist anymore, Genet added. Instead of putting such influence on a sovereign country, the Western partners are expected to play a constructive role to enhance Ethiopia’s path to democracy and the ongoing reform agenda.

“Through the demonstration, we asked them to support the Ethiopian government in its effort to address the immediate humanitarian need and also rebuilding the Tigray State. We also called on them to support Ethiopia on the GERD to help the country to ensure its right of utilizing its natural resource for on development.”

The demonstration was also intended to urge the US government to exert diplomatic pressure on the invading Sudanese military to unconditionally withdrew from the occupied Ethiopian territories.

In addition to this, the diaspora community is requesting Western countries to support Ethiopian with a view to making the upcoming General Elections successful, she mentioned.

Requesting the Biden Administration to provide financial and logistic support to Ethiopia’s humanitarian response is also given priority by the diaspora community.

By the same token, members of the Ethiopian community have commenced a letter campaign called Voter Voice and they have been publishing 11,500 letters thus far that would be delivered to U.S. Senators that represented the respective states.

Genet, who is also Virginia State’s Voter Voice Coordinator stated that the letters are expected to inform the U.S. policy makers the underlying factors that led to the law enforcement operation in Tigray State and government’s efforts to rehabilitate and rebuild the area. Apart from explaining facts on the ground to the senators, the voter voice letters are also expected to positively influence the law makers’ perception and decision regarding Ethiopia.

“Currently, we are preparing petitions and sending letters to inform the current situations in Ethiopia to our representative senators in the Congress, State Department, and the White House through the voter voice platform.”

Chicago’s Voter Voice Coordinator Genno Senbeta (Ph.D) said on his part that the international community should understand factors underlying government’s military response to the outlaw group and adhere Ethiopia’s natural right to utilize the Nile waters in equitable manner. Sudan’s provocation also should receive gained the global community’s attention.

Noting the destructive role TPLF-affiliated lobbyist groups have been playing in casting the country in negative light among the global community, Genno stated participation of every Ethiopian citizen is crucial to effectively counter the intensified smear campaign.

Ethiopian American Civic Council and other communities are working together with the umbrella Global Ethiopian Advocacy Nexus (GLEAN) to voice Ethiopia’s just cause in the U.S., it was learnt.

The Ethiopian herald March 11/2021

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