On Friday 29th January 2021, The Middle East Policy Council held its 103rd Capitol Hill Conference virtually. One of the speakers of the event was Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.
Although
the event was about the Middle East, Feltman wanted to start with what he
referred as ’ the alarming developments in the Horn of Africa’ as he is
convinced that there is a very strong connection between the Horn and the
Middle East. Agree with him on the connection.
Feltman
thus discusses Ethiopia. He says, “Ethiopia's population alone is more than 4
times that of pre-war Syria. 110 million people in Ethiopia. Conflict in the
Horn could make Syria look like child's play by comparison.”
We
disagree. Ethiopia & Syria are totally different. We disagree because Syria
has been led ONLY by the al-Assad family since 1971 with an iron fist whereas
Ethiopia is being led by a new and dynamic leader, who only took power in 2018.
Furthermore the conflicts in the two countries are completely different in
nature.
In
Syria it was public uprising as part of the Arab Spring, whereas in Ethiopia it
is a disgruntled group wanting to take power by force against the will of the
majority of the Ethiopian people. Syria’s president has been extending his
term, which is not the case in Ethiopia.
Feltman
continues. He says, “We need to engage the gulf countries Egypt and Turkey to
stabilize the Horn of Africa.”
Disagree
again. How could Egypt, a country that has openly vowed to destabilise the Horn
be trusted to stabilise the Horn? Egypt cannot be trusted at all.
Feltman
says, “The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed military assault in the Tigray
region has opened a Pandora's box.”
Here
Feltman accuses the Ethiopian government as if it started the war. He shifts
the blame from TPLF to ENDF. This is dangerous & misleading statement.
Feltman
continues his analysis of Ethiopia. He says, “Ethiopia's Oromo region is
restive”
Disagree
again. Feltman does not know and cannot know how the majority Oromos and the
Oromia region feel and operate. Does he know that nearly 15 million people
voted for the PM's party in Oromia?
Feltman
continues. He says, “Somalia's president shares Abiy Ahmed’s desire for very
strong central control putting him at odds with powerful provincial leaders.”
Feltman
wants to frame Prime Minister Abiy as a leader who has centralised power and
Somalia’s president replicating Prime Minister Abiy.
Feltman
continues. He says, “ Ethiopia’s Elections scheduled in 2021 of this year are
likely to provoke violence.”
We
disagree again. Does he know that nearly 34 million voted without a single
violence? Does he accept the results of Ethiopia's historic democratic
election?
Feltman
says, "Ethiopia has brushed aside African Union mediation efforts."
This
is an absurd accusation. Ethiopia is the only country that has been keen to see
African solutions for African problems unlike Egypt & Sudan, who pushed the
#GERD
issue to Arab League and UN.
Feltman
says, “IGAD, the intergovernmental Authority on Development has been severely
weakened as authoritarian leaders in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia draw closer
at the expense of the wider collective.”
We
disagree again. Labelling leaders as authoritarian because they don’t agree
with you is unacceptable.
Feltman
continues his wrong and biased analysis on Ethiopia, the Horn and wider Africa.
He concludes that Horn of Africa cannot sort its crises on its own and needs
support from the Gulf and Arab states.
As
Feltman was on his way to meet Ethiopia’s leaders, which took place on 17th
August, Ethiopians
across the world resorted to social media to tell him and the Biden Administration
that Feltman was not welcome as he had already lost credibility.
ኢትዮጵያውያን የነ ፌልትማንን ትዕዛዝ እየተቀበሉ አይኖሩም። እነ ፌልትማን ስለ ጥቁር ህዝብ ደንታ የላቸውም። የነሱ ፍላጎት በሪሞት ኮንትሮል የሚቆጣጠሩት ሎሌ መንግስት በመመስረት ኢትዮጵያን እንደፈለጋቸው ለማሽከርከር ነው።በፍፁም አይሳካም።1/2 pic.twitter.com/NcF8uziOLr
— 𝘽𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙖 (@BekeleWoyecha) August 14, 2021
During
his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Froegin Minister of Ethiopia, he was
told that ‘Ethiopia expects that the U.S. would properly condemn the
destructive acts of the invading TPLF forces. Feltman said the U.S. understands
how the people of Ethiopia see TPLF.’
DPM & FM, H.E. @DemekeHasen, meets #US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman & said #Ethiopia expects that the U.S. would properly condemn the destructive acts of the invading TPLF forces. Feltman said the U.S. understands how the people of Ethiopia see TPLF. pic.twitter.com/X67plAfL03
— MFA Ethiopia🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) August 17, 2021
So
good that Ethiopians rejected him as he has no credibility at all.
Full video of the August 29th event in the below link.