In gross defiance to international law and major international treaties, the western powers are now more than ever are engaged in violating the sovereignty of the country and the peoples of Ethiopia by interfering into the internal affairs of the nation. Ethiopia is being made a hub of conspiracies that are being carefully designed to prevent the country from being self-reliant. Forces that are out to balkanize this nation are working internally and at the international level to witness the downfall of this country. The conspiracies are meant to gear up for a régime change but in reality target the entire population of this country.
Discrediting Ethiopia’s efforts to restore peace and stability and addressing the humanitarian efforts underway in Tigray, the western media and TPLF sponsored media outlets are busy fabricating false news marred with hatred, chauvinism geared at tarnishing the global image of the country and to reinforce their dictates on an independent and sovereign country to kill the reform program and the upcoming election in the country.
With total disrespect for the peoples and government of Ethiopia, western powers are again trying to twist the arms of the Ethiopian government forcing it to accept and illegal action of negotiating with a terrorist force and calling for ceasefire with a barbaric organization putting it on equal footing with this country. They deliberately gloss over the fact that Ethiopia is a trusted partner in all aspects of international peace and development cooperation.
Three years back, many of the western countries, notably EU and USA hailed Ethiopia’s reform program with a wrong assumption that it would be conducted under their tutelage. Many media outlets were vigorously condemning EPRDF its policy of revolutionary democracy that plunged the country into the worst level of foreign debt, corruption, lack of the rule of law and good governance. Quite a few countries in the western hemisphere pledged to support Ethiopia’s reform program and instantly got into afterthoughts when the country embarked on law enforcement measures in Tigray Region.
Today, they are providing a moral support to TPLF in reverse gear and bitterly opposing Ethiopia’s efforts to ascertain the rule of law in its own territory as a precondition for the implementation of economic, legal, social and political reforms. They are giving a go ahead for Egyptian and Sudanese militarism on the Horn of Africa through massive military aid endorsing a possible regional war in the area. The entire political scenario on the Horn of Africa seems to drive the region into a regional crisis that will have devastating effects.
In an attempt to chock the country’s efforts to be self-reliant in food security, energy, transport and logistics, the US is using a carrot and sticks policy to punish the peoples and government of Ethiopia for choosing the path towards self-reliance. The sanctions provide a lesson in history for the peoples and government of Ethiopia to be self-reliant in every aspect of socio-economic and political life.
More than ever, the bell has now toll for a national unity to develop this country into a middle level of economic development. Ethiopia will soon cease to import wheat from the west and become self-reliant in energy and engage in import substitution programs that would enable the country to recover huge amount of foreign currency. This country is developing basic infrastructure programs that could benefit the countries near and afar in the region.
The justice system in Ethiopia is undergoing massive changes through apolitical services it provides to its citizens. Those in the military and civil services who have committed human rights violations including rape are being judged before the courts of law, Gender sensitive programs are already helping to empower women to be part of the decision making process in the country. Despite the war cry on the media, all these democratic measures are not being palatable to the west.
They are now opposing the peace accord with Eretria and good relations with Somalia that they have earlier accepted as a threat to their regional hegemony on the Horn. Ethiopia’s swift development of its own naval forces to ensure its interest and peace on the Red Sea and littoral areas including Djibouti was shocking news for the west. However, Ethiopia will continue to pursue a policy of peace with the neighboring countries and in its peace keeping efforts in Africa. This country is contributing to global reduction of carbon emission by greening the country and encouraging neighboring countries to follow suit.
Furthermore, over the next several years, the country is striving to benefit citizens through multiple housing projects targeting half a million households in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is developing the import of natural gas through Djibouti to earn enough foreign currency to finance major development programs of the country. Sanctions are regrettable but the relations with US are expected to remain intact for the benefit of both countries.
Prime Minister Abiy’s message on building 100 bigger and micro dams across the country shows the determination of the government to close the budget deficit the country is facing through huge investments based on the nation’s hydropower potential. Incidentally, despite the US sanctions on security cooperation and assistance Ethiopia will continue to discharge its responsibilities to fight off terrorism in cooperation with other African countries and is also committed to peace keeping in Somalia on its own and in the context of AMISOM.
US sanctions on security cooperation will only help to embolden Al-Shababa and the ISIS and AL-Qaida branches in Somalia. They will expand their terrorist activities not only in Somalia but in the neighboring countries and also on piracy on the Red Sea. The foreign policy that the Trump Administration followed on Ethiopia was again rubber stamped by the Bidden Administration which is trying to force Ethiopia to swim upstream against the tide by interfering into the internal affairs of a foreign country.
The western powers have a wrong perception of what more than 100 million Ethiopians could perform to effectively tackle the sanctions and the falsehood that TPLF paid lobbyists are circulating around the world. The sanctions replace cooperation and partnership with unnecessary preconditions that western countries are trying to impose on Ethiopia. This indeed is temporary because united Ethiopians will certainly overcome all obstacles and speed bumpers on their way.
The main point is the problems in this country emanated from here and their solution lies here and not in Washington or any other European city. Here, while blaming the government of Ethiopia for ascertaining the rule of law in Tigray, the western powers complicated the problem solving capacity of the government by resorting to sanctions.
Ethiopians and citizens of Ethiopian origin are already doing their best in repulsing the international conspiracy that is targeting the peoples and government of Ethiopia but I am not sure if Ethiopians here are doing the same in unison to supplement to such efforts at global scale. The hang-ups from ethno-fascism and terrorism are still haunting the political developments in Ethiopia. Sanctions or no sanctions, the only solution to the challenges the country is facing is to act in a united front to be self-reliant on the entire socio-economic development of the nation.
BY SOLOMONN DIBABA
The Ethiopian Herald June 9/2021
