BY ADDISALEM MULAT
The interferences of the West in the internal affairs of various nations have been turning countries into a living hell. By way of illustration, following the interference of the United States of America and its allies, Libya, a country that was leading a luxurious lifestyle has got into a situation that is above the dead and below the living. Nobody had expected Libya would reach this heartbreaking stage by any means whatsoever.
According to The Atlantic Once Obama was asked about his “worst mistake.” It’s a classic gotcha question, but he had an answer ready. “Probably failing to plan for the day after, what I think was the right thing to do, in intervening in Libya.” This was yet another act of presidential contrition for the NATO operation in 2011 that helped to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi but left the country deeply unstable.
Obama has placed the responsibility on the entrenched tribalism of Libyan society, as well as the failure of America’s NATO allies to step up to the plate. Blaming the Libyans and Europeans may be satisfying, but it misses the deeper reasons for the debacle, which are rooted in how Americans think about and fight wars. The Libya intervention marked the third time in a decade that Washington embraced regime change and then failed to plan for the consequences.
If truth be told, the failure of the U.S. foreign policy has been manifested in various parts of the world given that it is resulting in destabilizing different countries. Afghanistan is another country that was victimized due to the unguided intervention of the west.
The chaotic military pullout from Afghanistan and the failure of Western-backed leadership for failing to protect Afghans has clearly depicted the mismanagement of intervention.
The chaotic situation in Afghanistan and the uncertainty hanging over the war-torn country are just only the tip of the iceberg of the U.S.’s failed foreign policy towards many nations.
Following the withdrawals of the US Army from Afghanistan hundreds of people poured onto the tarmac at Kabul’s international airport, desperately seeking a route out of Afghanistan after the Taliban’s seizure of power sparked a chaotic Western withdrawal and brought to a crashing end the United States’ two-decade mission in the country.
Afghanistan’s chaotic turn drew a sharp condemnation against Biden by both democrats and republicans at home. The situation in the country leaves a deep scar in Biden’s foreign policy track record, and is pushing Afghanistan into unchartered territory as a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the war-torn country.
Alluding to the situation in Afghanistan, many experts are warning against the U.S. interference in the Horn of Africa particularly Ethiopia.
The U.S. announced that it has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of presence in the country without bringing any positive impact. This shameful foreign policy failure is a lesson for the U.S. that is following the same foreign policy towards the countries of the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia. Washington has been putting unwarranted pressure against Ethiopia.
In a previous interview with The Ethiopian Herald Mekele University History Professor, Ayele Bekeri said that Afghanistan has exposed the failure of the U.S.’s foreign policy in the global sphere. The Special Envoy does not have the confidence to tell us what to do and how to negotiate with TPLF. This might allow him to modify their foreign policy towards Ethiopia.”
So far, the U.S. has been adopting a more biased foreign policy towards Ethiopia and failed to condemn numerous atrocities being committed by the terrorists TPLF, he added.
He stated that the silence over Galicoma and Mai Kadra massacres is the result of the U.S.’s erroneous foreign policy towards Ethiopia. The United States of America has to engagingly acknowledge the crimes committed in the two regions.
“We have to stand on the ground to make sure that we do not accept any attempt or sabotage against Ethiopia’s sovereignty. In this regard, we are holding high moral ground on the grounds that we are insisting children should not be part of this conflict.
However, the United States is absolutely silent on the recruiting of children for fighting by the terrorist TPLF group.”
“From my personal standpoint, the U.S. foreign policy is misdirected and causing chaos literally. America is crafting a foreign policy that goes against the interest of Ethiopia.
We are interested in fighting Al-Qaeda and al-Shabab. The U.S. also needs to help Ethiopia in the fight against the terrorist TPLF group.”
“America has to detour at this very moment. I am under the impression that we have to show Washington that we could by no means negotiate with terrorists at the expense of Ethiopia’s sovereignty and national integrity,” he added.
“Ethiopians at home and abroad have been insisting that theirs is a sovereign nation with all the right to make its own decision. Against this background, no one can tell Ethiopia how to govern or shape its policy provided that it is the mandate of Ethiopians; he said adding that our consistency in terms of not negotiating with the terrorist group designated by the House of Peoples Representatives should be clearly understood,” he wrapped up.
The recent turn of events in Afghanistan is a testimony that the U.S. has failed in Afghanistan. At the same time, the U.S. is trying to repeat what happens in Afghanistan in the Horn of Africa. As the Horn region is a strategic area and powerful countries have a huge interest in the region and want to control the area by installing puppet governments that will execute their interest. This is what we are witnessing in Ethiopia now and if the country didn’t accept their orders, they exert maximum pressure by all means so as to weaken that state, said Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at University of Gondar, Andargachew Tesfahun “Western intervention resulted in many failed states in countries like Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and others. On the contrary, other countries like Venezuela, North Korea, Iran and Cuba that resisted western interferences through the unity of their people.”
On the other hand, currently, there is global power competition and there is a shift of power globally. The U.S. is highly worried about the influences of rising powers and the number one priority of Washington is to control the Horn region by any means, he said adding that the U.S.’s failure in Afghanistan set a solid lesson to the country and the world that improper foreign policy is not acceptable by any means and will be counterproductive.
“I think the world is well aware of U.S.’s foreign policy and the recent failure in Afghanistan clearly exposed the true color of its policy. America and Europe need to revise their foreign policy. They need to reshape their old-fashion policy of interference and prepare for a win-win approach.”
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 27/ 2021
