Statement by the Embassy of Ethiopia on House Passage of H.R. 2003

 WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Embassy of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Washington, DC, released this
statement by Samuel Assefa, Ethiopia's Ambassador to the United States:
 The U.S. House of Representatives today approved irresponsible legislation
 that, if it becomes law, would create fresh obstacles to Ethiopia's bold
 efforts towards comprehensive democratic reforms. The legislation also
 would undermine regional stability in the Horn of Africa by jeopardizing
 vital security cooperation between the United States and Ethiopia.
 
 The action disregards Ethiopia's immense progress in creating a
 competitive, pluralistic system of government and a more open civil
 society. According to the U.S. State Department, "[t]he [2005] elections
 stand out as a milestone in creating a new, more competitive multiparty
 political system in one of Africa's largest and most important countries."
 
 Nor was the impetus towards democratic reform impeded following the
 post-election riots that tragically cost the lives of so many civilians
 and police officers. After intense discussions between the majority and
 opposition parties, the Ethiopian Parliament took legislative measures to
 address contentious issues such as revision of parliamentary rules of
 procedure and reform of the National Election Board.
 
 In her testimony before the House Africa and Global Health Subcommittee,
 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazier said
 these "steps are unprecedented in Ethiopia and represent monumental
 advancement in the political environment."
 
 While many of these democratic gains seem to have gone unnoticed by
 Members of Congress, the very presence of two recently convicted and
 pardoned senior opposition leaders who testified at the Congressional
 hearing today bears witness to the Ethiopian Government's brave resolve to
 reinvigorate the democratic process. It is jarring, to say the least,
 that immediately in the wake of these pardons the U.S. House of
 Representatives approved punitive measures against Ethiopia.
 
 There is no mistaking that this action does not serve the interests of the
 United States or Ethiopia. By taking this step, the House sadly has
 allowed itself to be used by extremists in Ethiopian politics who reject
 peaceful and legal avenues of political participation. The House action
 serves only to bolster these hard-line elements by encouraging the
 politics of extremes.
 
 The legislation is equally destructive to regional security in the Horn of
 Africa. Dr. J. Peter Pham, invited by the Africa subcommittee to testify
 at today's Congressional hearing as an expert witness, said "The most
 significant national interest at stake for the United States in this
 complex context is to prevent al Qaeda ... from acquiring a new base and
 opening a new front in its war against us and allies."
 
 Mr. Payne and his allies seek nothing less than a realignment of U.S.
 interests in Africa. Mr. Payne made this clear in a recent press release
 in which he accused Ethiopia -- against all evidence and common sense --
 of being "a source of instability in the region."
 
 The fact is that the entire region faces a serious threat from Eritrea --
 a country that the U.S. Department of State is considering listing as a
 state sponsor of terrorism, and that has rejected the core institutions of
 legal opposition parties and a private press, officially banning both, and
 also outlawed worship by minority religious denominations.
 
  A recent United Nations report concluded that Eritrea has armed terrorists
 in Somalia with weapons including suicide belts and anti-aircraft
 missiles. Yet, rather than move against the country that denies all
 rights and religious freedom to its citizens, and foments instability, Mr.
 Payne is leading the Congress to condemn Ethiopia.
 
 One of Mr. Payne's key advisors, an Africa specialist for the
 Congressional Research Service, recently told the New York Times, "If
 there is one country where the fighting of extremists and terrorists was a
 priority when it mattered, it was Eritrea."
 
 This view is nonsense, and this legislation simply is not consistent with
 the responsible, reflective action of a legislature weighing U.S.
 interests around the world. Instead this is legislation favored by
 regional and domestic political activists who have chosen to use the U.S.
 Congress in support of a partisan Ethiopian political agenda. It is
 baffling that the House would allow itself to be used in this way.
 
 Ethiopia thanks the current U.S. administration for its continued support
 and carefully considered opposition to this legislation. It also welcomes
 the support of thoughtful Members of the House and Senate who understand
 the reality of the Horn of Africa and recognize Ethiopia's steadfast
 commitment to democracy in one of the most dangerous regions in the world.
 

SOURCE Embassy of Ethiopia