He also commended the Ethiopian government on, “its efforts geared towards safeguarding the human rights of its citizens”. The government, he said, “is also committed to ensure democratic system in the country!” (Italics added)

I refuse to see the reality or even remote proximity to the truth in the ambassador’s words regarding Ethiopia. Twisting truth to serve one’s end s in political rhetoric is nothing new, but this beats the record!

The comments expressed by the ambassador about Ethiopia are, to say the least politically motivated embellishment to the TPLF regime. I he telling us to forget Ethiopia’s very recent (2005) cheating blatant and shameless of people’s electoral voices, continuous jailing of reporters and political opponents as well as massacring of peaceful demonstrators in the streets of Addis Ababa? Or are we to take this as a model for ensuring the democratic system.

We could also mention just in passing the Ethiopian government’s atrocities in the Ogaden, Gambella and other part of the country where political and/or armed struggle against the central government is waging.

“Ethiopia is not named a country violating human rights just like Eritrea and other African and Far East countries.” Another quote from the Ambassador! Leaving aside the criteria, legal, moral and political considerations which make the USA and the current George Bush administration to judge other countries about human rights, the facts speak for themselves.

That Ethiopia enjoys high favor as a client state for the US administration in the horn of Africa, is a historical as well as a current problem for the area. So no one can be surprised that Ethiopia would either be absent or selectively reviewed by the double standard criterion of the US State Department report.

The ambassador is within his rights to comment on the relations between Ethiopia and the US, nevertheless it should not be by twisting facts and at the expense of the other countries in the region such as Eritrea. This is not the only time and place that Eritrea has been, unjustly, the victim of various US diplomats and statesmen to the benefit of Ethiopia. But this campaign of baseless fabrications and defamation against Eritrea must stop.

The biggest surprise and hypocrisy in Ambassador Yamamoto’s comments is the one he made about Ethiopia’s role in Somalia. “Commends Ethiopia for its role in ensuring peace and stability in Africa in general and in Somalia in particular.” (Italics added)

This is indeed a gross misconception! Is this the ambassador’s understanding of peace and stability? Today Somalia is a pathetic place where the population is constantly suffering from battle casualties, insecurity, illness and poverty. And Ethiopia’s role is negative. Its unwarranted and self-serving military intervention, to be more exact, invasion, has caused untold suffering to the people of Somalia. This is a fact that no one can contest, for it is being perpetuated n front of the international community.

Somalia represents the apex of Ethiopia’s role in fomenting and aggravating instability and chaos in the horn of Africa and elsewhere. The ambassador’s mention of Ethiopia’s role in Somalia as a constructive and stabilizing is hard to digest!

In conclusion the revered ambassador is free to air his view about the US-Ethiopian relations, but please spare us baseless allegation and unfounded, politically motivated embellishments for the TPLF regime led by Meles Zenawi and company! The twisting of truth is unacceptable not only for Eritrea and Eritreans but for all peace-loving citizens of the horn.

A. KEBIRE
Asmara

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