The conflict in northern Ethiopia has shown Ethiopians many things that they before now, would never have even suspected. Ethiopians believe and have almost always believed that, the West, particularly the Americans, are dear friends even beyond being allies or partners in development etc. In fact, it has almost always been the dream of many Ethiopians to see the US either as visitor or possibly go there for good and live. There is this ‘myth of America’ as a place where anything you do will succeed, and anyone who manages to reach the beaches of America, their life would be blessed with shining success.
Many believe or have grown believing that, Americans are very rich people who stretch their hands towards the poor wherever they may go. In fact, such myth of American generosity and selflessness has been made to develop even in other African countries. Few would care to distinguish between the American citizens and the US government which in fact is often accused by its critics of ‘imperialistic and ruthless maneuvers’ and would do whatever it takes to keep under control every part of the world, particularly the so called developing countries which seems to be in desperate need of its generous and extensive assistance.
There is a lot of literature as evidence that the US has been playing significant role in the affairs of any country in the world including the huge ones which many would compare as challengers to its might and influence. Some critical observers have often called this act of the US as presenting itself as the ‘policeman of the world’ thanks to its immense military power and its tremendously huge economy!
Historically, it is known that America is a relatively new country and in less than 300 years since its foundation as a federal republic, it has managed to dominate the affairs of the entire world, positively or otherwise. Many note that being a ‘country of immigrants’ it has managed to secure through time some of the best minds of the entire human race and preparing the right environment for the immigration of those people, it has managed to collect the best and most erudite people from all over the globe. It is difficult to find a nation on earth that is not represented in the US! That may be the secret of its success.
For years, America has been considered as the safe haven of all sorts of persecuted people from Europe due to their religious faith, their political beliefs and later on due to sheer poverty. For instance, when harvests failed, because there was drought or some sort of pests destroyed the harvests, and there was nothing to eat, many in Europe, such as the Irish for instance had no choice but to immigrate to the new continent. When the Nazis expanded their invasion in Europe and began to persecute the Jews and hunt down Communists, their last resort was the US. When Africans or Latin Americans were escaping ruthless dictatorships or conflicts or even drought and famine their destination was mainly the US.
Hence, the myth and association of abundance and freedom with the US developed and spread. The kind of propaganda the various aid agencies as well as the military establishments disseminated throughout the entire world has contributed to elevate the US to some kind of ‘earthly heaven’ where anyone would go and live in well off conditions and affluence. Many are heard talking emphatically about the ‘American Dream’.
In the meantime, the US continued to present itself as the ‘savior of the world’, particularly from all sorts of totalitarianism, such as Nazism, Fascism and Communism. And anywhere they went, they conveyed this idea or message that the US is the model of ‘a free society’, an open society where individual freedom and dignity is guaranteed. It produced so much literature against communism and in favor of capitalism, the free market and neo-liberalism that it managed to carve the educational system of many countries.
In Ethiopia, the Americans have almost always been considered close friends beginning from the imperial days. The two nations have enjoyed warm relations through the years. The last emperor resorted to all forms of aid and cooperation with the US and so the myth of Ethio-US relations began to flourish. Thousands of Ethiopian youths were sent to the US with scholarships prepared by the US government and returned home with immense admiration of the US society. Later the ‘military cooperation’ between the two governments became very close to the extent of carrying out common military exercises. Ethiopians received military and technical assistance and there were a lot of US armed staff in our country based on mutual cooperation agreements. Ethiopia had even granted to the US a military communications base that served them in those days to control and monitor the Persian Gulf and environs very easily.
Almost all of Ethiopia’s administrative staff in government was made to take training in the US. One can say for decades Ethiopia was at the mercy of the US in many senses. The kind of aid, Ethiopians received were extended even in schools with powder milk courtesy of USAID, its development arm.
However, despite Ethiopia’s close association with the US, the Ethiopian Emperor had good relations with the Eastern Bloc countries such as the USSR, China and others as well. They were good ‘friends’ of Ethiopia and took part in certain development ventures the country needed to engage in. In fact, during the prime time of the Cold War Ethiopia was reputed for being among the founders and promoters of the Non Aligned Movement headed notably by India’s Nehru and Yugoslavia’s Marshal Tito and others. This may not have pleased the US and the West in general, but Ethiopia was somehow considered a special country that enjoyed exercising its peculiar independence or neutrality. Many used to admire the diplomatic skills of the emperor and the place the country deserved to have in those days.
As one the countries which were never colonized by Europeans, unlike almost all of Africa, Asia and others, and considering the fact that it is the only black country that inflicted a heavy defeat in war against a white army, it had the recognition of the world. It was not particularly pressurized by the US and others to be lining up behind them blindly. Ethiopia’s diplomatic exploits were attributed to the wisdom of the Emperor and his influence was acknowledged even across Africa when he helped found the once Organization of African Unity, OAU now AU. Ethiopia had certain neutrality it had managed to maintain despite its close contacts and association with the West in general and the US in particular.
The relations between the US and Ethiopia however were on the brink of total breakdown when Moscow-oriented military leaders in Ethiopia took over power deposing the monarchy in 1974. It was further downgraded following the invasion of Somalia against Ethiopia in the late seventies. The US found itself siding with the enemy, Somalia! At the same time the USSR became a key ally of Ethiopians and Ethiopia felt the alienation by the west. As the country managed to secure all the military assistance it needed desperately from the USSR, its association with Moscow became intimate. This cooperation helped reverse the Somali invasion and Ethiopia was grateful to the sense of internationalism and solidarity extended to it by the socialist bloc: Moscow, Havana and the Eastern countries.
This was considered to be a turning point in the relations between the US and Ethiopia. However, it was not to last very long because in cooperation with the rebels that were fighting the Mengistu regime in the north, the military government was deposed. What was to be called the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF, took power spearheaded by the Tigray People Liberation Front, TPLF. Reports have shown that the mighty military force of the Derg military regime had to face not only the rebellion of the guerrilla forces that attacked it for years, but also the disillusionment felt by citizens at home. Besides, what should not be underestimated is the strategic help accorded it by western forces, particularly the US, while simultaneously the breaking down of the USSR left the regime at the mercy of the West. It was to be found out that TPLF and others would not have even been capable of putting down the mighty military government of Addis Ababa had it not been for the ‘strategic collaboration’ it secured from the US, including the massive propaganda orchestrated by western media as we have seen happening lately with the TPLF invasion of the Afar and Amhara regions. Besides, the president of the country was made to ‘leave the country safely’ to go to Zimbabwe thus sparing the country from further bloodshed, it was stated. Later on, it was to be made clear that the entire process was worked out by the ‘friends of TPLF’.
Since the advent of TPLF to power, one can say the relations between the US and Ethiopia changed dramatically again. Eventually, the TPLF regime had every assistant it needed, in order to survive well in power, suppressing citizens the way they needed to the extent it was necessary for them to stay in power. We now know that this collaboration between western powers and TPLF was crucial to maintain them in power. Whatever, illegal things the government did including the widespread abuses of power, violations of basic human rights could not have been hidden from ‘the sponsors’ of the TPLF government. But many observers say it was a matter of convenience for these powers to keep it in power even if Ethiopians had to suffer. Ethiopians were clearly at the receiving end of all sorts of injustices in plain day light and yet we did not hear any significant condemnation by these powers.
The lies about ‘the development trajectory’ of Ethiopia echoed by their allies were clear to ordinary Ethiopians who were not associated with the regime. Few billionaires dominated the economy and a few families dominated the political power. That was the history of TPLF which ruled the country for almost thirty years. Now that it was ousted and replaced by a popular and legitimately elected government, the support of the west seemed to continue openly to apparently facilitate its return to power. That was what seemed to transpire during the past few years.
But the current Ethiopian government has been insistent not to allow for any opening regarding the return of TPLF to power. The attack on the Northern Command was presented by the western media and allies of TPLF as a sort of ‘legitimate self-defense’ alleging that Ethiopia had in plan a war against TPLF. However, all this is now being debunked and now that TPLF and its associates are in a desperate situation, some experts say they may still plan some other forms of attacking Ethiopia and destabilizing the legitimate government. Among the means of attacking Ethiopians is the various threats advanced by not only the western governments but also so called international organizations such as the UN which has failed to condemn the various heinous crimes against innocent civilians etc.
Ethiopia has now come to realize that, it cannot rely on any foreign power for its sovereignty, independence and survival, but on principally its own patriots and then a few selected real and reliable friends and allies. Ethiopia now understands that all those who have lined up in assistance of the terrorist TPLF cannot be its friends, no matter what words they may use. Ethiopians will not be fooled again by certain words of powers. Many Ethiopians says, they would rather be more cautious, not to be blackmailed and would rather review their relations with certain presumed allies, if they want to maintain their dignity and territorial integrity. That is why they are heard urging their government to may be revisit and review well all of their diplomatic relations and missions placing the right priorities of the government in the current new year. In fact, this has also been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic Government of Ethiopia as an area of focus.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 25 JANUARY 2022
