ADDIS ABABA – Four Ethiopian civic organizations requested the U.S. government for criminal investigation of individuals for potential violation of U.S. federal laws by conspiring violent removal of the democratically elected government of Ethiopia.
It was learnt that the four organizations filed a complaint with the Department of Justice, New York Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against individuals who conspired to violently remove the democratically elected government of Ethiopia, a nation with which the United States maintains a friendly relation.
Referring U.S. federal laws, the four organizations stated that the U.S. Neutrality Act imposes a criminal penalty against any person, within the U.S. jurisdiction, who conspires to overthrow a foreign government with whom the United States is at peace.
The organizations further restated that on November 21, 2021, peace and Development Center International (PDCI), incorporated in the U.S. under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, convened a Zoom meeting where individuals of Ethiopian origin and American and European diplomats who served in Ethiopia, discussed the removal of the democratically elected government of Ethiopia, including through violent means.
Among attendees was a top terrorist TPLF’s leader wanted for crimes against the people of Ethiopia, it was also stated.
According to the organizations, the so-called ‘peace dialogue’ organized by PDCI is an extension of the misinformation and disinformation campaign intended to demonize and delegitimize the elected government of Ethiopia, added that, “It is offensive to our shared democratic principles and is totally against the best interests of the peoples and governments of Ethiopia and the U.S. .”
They further noted that they unequivocally condemn such acts and will continue to work with all Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of Ethiopia.
The signatories are Global Ethiopian American Advocacy Nexus (GLEAN), Worldwide Ethiopian Action Fund (WEAF), Ethiopian–American Development Council (EADC), and Unity for Human Rights and Democracy (UHRD).
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 1/2021
