US Yamamoto’s Testimony on Ethiopia – Is that the whole truth?
Half-truths are Dangerous Lies
By Yared Tibebu,
April 20, 2006 — Four months ago I wrote a piece on Sudan Tribune assessing the policy of the US State Department towards Ethiopia and shared my concern, and asked for the Ethiopian community in the US to go on a diplomatic offensive rather than the pleading and wailing in the corridors of power. In the intervening months, the CUD support committee in North America heightened its diplomatic nicety to a new level and agreed to pay 700,000 dollars to buy a Republican hand, while the Bureau for African Affairs at the State Department went on the offensive, declaring the May elections as “free and fair”. At this juncture, the Bureau for African Affairs that is led by Assistant Secretary Donald Yamamoto went beyond recognized diplomatic channels and beyond the call of duty of a diplomat to help form a surrogate party and a new leadership in place of the incarcerated CUD leaders.
As part of the offensive the Bureau of African Affairs went on a mission of misleading congress during the hearing, misinforming incarcerated CUD leaders as to the real intention of the surrogate cud the Bureau helps to organize, misinforming the family members of the incarcerated leaders about America’s knowledge of a CUD-Eritrea joint strategy, knocking door to door the homes of city council members to force them sign for the formation of the surrogate cud and the take over of the city administration. And for all these, Vicki Huddleston, the charge at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, was in charge to spear head the dirty job with a direct supervision from Yamamoto himself. And what was unfamiliar in the Ethiopian case was that it was not a covert operation, and Yamamoto and Vicki were immersed in it openly, defiantly, and undiplomatically. Why such heavy-handedness when it comes to Ethiopia?
During the March 2006 hearings, Yamamoto’s introductory remark was “Over the last year, Ethiopians have been tempted by the twin promises of freedom and fairness. Expectations were high during last year’s campaign season. This marked the first true multiparty election in Ethiopia’s 3,000-year history. Results have been mixed, and hopes for progress have been chilled, as the government has clamped down on individuals’ right to assemble and journalists’ ability to report events. Meanwhile, several elected opposition officials refused to take their seats in Parliament and have been arrested and charged with capital offenses.”
Why the CUD leaders refuse to take their seats was not directly addressed by Yamamoto, but in an indirect manner he insinuates by saying “The opposition’s stance evolved after May 15, 2005. Their unexpected political gains inspired the confidence to insist on more political control of the process, and they pressed for a review of the 299 seats they lost to the EPRDF”. It looks Mr. Yamamoto never heard to the many pre-election debates where the issue of the “Orange Revolution” has been raised by the incumbent, and opposition’s response of “we will not allow you to steal the people’s vote”. Yamamoto knows and the leader of the CUD was on record starting as early as two years before election, of an expectation that a quasi “free and fair” election will crown the opposition with success, and more and more members of the leadership started sharing the same belief as the election day was coming to a close, and as they had the opportunity to go into the countryside on election campaigns, and had the chance to see the overwhelming support they had among the people. At least three of the top leadership Mesfin, Hailu, and Berhanu understood that eventuality. It was the inept Bureau for African Affairs at the State Department and its “imbedded” journalists who never understood this eventuality, and were continuously bombarding the media with an expected “ land-slide victory by the incumbent due to its ?superior’ organization and support in the rural areas”.
If Yamamoto was genuine, he should have been open and candid about his department’s wrong assessment and expectation that led to wrong policies. But instead, he told the congress that “The opposition’s stance evolved after May 15, 2005. Their unexpected political gains inspired the confidence to insist on more political control of the process”. He must have confessed that he was wrong, that his department was wrong, that Ambassador Brasilia was wrong, and admit that they should have listened to or at least give the benefit of the doubt to the honest assessment of the CUD chairman. Failing to tell the truth is one thing, it can be swayed in Regan’s or Oliver North’s fashion of loss of memory, but to tell congress that CUD leadership’s “unexpected political gains inspired the confidence to insist on more political control” created the political impasse is tantamount to lying to the congress and answerable by an indictment.
On his testimony Yamamoto told the congress “From June 2-8, the opposition raised questions about the results for 299 seats.” This is a total fabrication. One-fifth of the 299 contested seats were appealed by the ruling party itself. EPRDF asked for more than 60 seats to be reviewed, and got acceptance of 90% of its request by NEBE and won 100% of the reelection. Yamamoto didn’t tell this truth to the congress, he enveloped it with the 299 seats that went for the first round review, and made it look as if the opposition demanded such high numbers of seats to be reviewed because their “unexpected political gains inspired the confidence to insist on more political control”. He was slowly but in a determined fashion painting an impetuous opposition which gained from 12 to 173 seats in the course of five years, but unwilling to accept defeat and “several elected opposition officials refused to take their seats in Parliament and have been arrested and charged with capital offenses.” Even though he was not undiplomatic in telling us that the CUD leaders deserve incarceration, it was clear that he implicated their impetuous action for more “political control of the process”, for ending them in prison.
Since Yamamoto painted a CUD leadership that was treasonous, he didn’t see the need to stand with the world for the unconditional release and freedom of these prisoners of conscience. He unashamedly and in a very partisan way stood with the Ethiopian tyrant and spoke his language by telling congress that “the Administration calls on the Government of Ethiopia to ensure a fair, transparent, and speedy trial for those charged”. How can there be a “fair” trial under a tyrant who is bent on hateful minority rule? Since Meles charged them with capital offence, he will be “fair” as requested by Yamamoto and reduce the sentence to 11 years or so until he wins two more elections. By then those CUD leaders who are in their seventies will definitely die in prison, the younger ones like Berhanu, Muluneh and Bertukan will be in their late fifties and Ayele’s surrogate party will be a loyal opposition that always comes out after every election and sends Meles a congratulatory message for a land-slide victory of his party. That is Yamamoto’s “fair, transparent, and speedy trial” will deliver; and he knows it.
In line with this strategy, the American public and the US congress has to be misinformed, and Yamamoto testifies under oath that “The United States has also engaged with the newly elected Addis Ababa City Counselors and NEBE to enable the opposition to take over City Hall.” What Yamamoto did not tell the US congress is the manner in which he and his Lieutenant Vicki Huddleston are “enabling” the “opposition to take over City Hall”. They knock on the doors of “the newly elected Addis Ababa City Counselors” to accept the Prime Minister’s call to form the city council, and if a counselor says NO, on grounds “it is unacceptable for him/her to take his/her seat while the elected Mayor is in prison on trumped-up charges”, then the moment Vicki’s team leaves, undercover security agents will follow their footsteps and threaten the city Counselor to collaborate with the American Embassy. After six weeks of continuous harassment and intimidation they have succeeded to break the will of a good number of these Counselors. And what do Ethiopians learn from this act of the American Embassy in Addis? In one word – DISAPPOINTMENT, that could eventually develop into opposition. Yamamoto did not tell the truth, only the truth and the whole truth, and the world knows half-truths are dangerous lies. And lying before Congress is punishable by law, and Yamamoto needs to be ousted from his office for his half-truths and dangerous lies.
In his testimony Yamamoto never said a word about the partisanship of NEBE even at the limited level as it was observed by the Carter Center. He put the blame on “capacity building” as if the murderous act of the NEBE did not arise from outward partisanship they displayed during the post-election period. But Yamamoto told Congress “The NEBE clearly requires significant assistance, as it works to build capacity and forge a constructive dialogue between the parties.”
What the NEBE requires is not capacity building, but to be erased from the face of Ethiopia and be reconstituted by either a body that is equally raised from all groups or, a totally non-partisan body that has the confidence of the people. The NEBE was a partisan wing of the incumbent which had helped to derail the outcome of the election. Mr. Yamamoto’s suggestion that the problem of the NEBE as being a “capacity problem” totally lacks understanding, and dangerous in light of the coming 2010 elections, if at all the incumbent allows one. A state department which sees NEBE’s problem as that of capacity building totally misses the point, and problematic for the preparation of another round of elections in the future.
Yamamoto testified that “The United States has also engaged with the newly elected Addis Ababa City Counselors and NEBE to enable the opposition to take over City Hall.” What Vicki Huddleston under Yamamoto’s direction is engaged in is the creation of a surrogate CUD that is in the hands of the PM, while the state department is asking for a speedy and fair trial of the opposition leaders who are imprisoned on trumped-up genocide charges. This is not acceptable at all, and Ethiopians should demand the removal of the Charge D’affaire from her position for the sin she committed against the democratic aspiration of the Ethiopian people and for going out of her diplomatic realm into helping and assisting a murderous regime to stabilize at the cost of the elected leaders of Ethiopia.
It is not within the mandate of a diplomatic corps to approach the city Counselors on individual or group basis and do the dirty job of a regime. If the Charge wants to appear as a tough and result oriented problem-solver who wants to write her resume by an accomplishment done over the cries and woes of duly elected members of the Addis city council, this addition to her resume will only haunt her for the remaining years of her carrier and her life. She is setting herself for disappointment. We are compiling the hurts and agony of Addis council members that resulted from the collaboration of the US Embassy with government under cover agents and file charges in US courts, if Vicki doesn’t desist from her unbecoming acts immediately.
Vicki knows that she immersed herself in such a task despite the wishes of the incarcerated leaders of the CUD. She has requested them to give their blessing to the surrogate CUD and they have told her in uncompromising terms that she needs to quit but she pushed her agenda with the authority of a “Colonial Viceroy” disregarding their wish. If we are to look at a hypothetical historical parallel from American history, what Vicki is doing is like arresting leaders of the Federalist party, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, keeping them behind bars, and then asking some shady characters within the party to reorganize and register the Federalist party anew. How acceptable is that Ms. Huddleston? What would have been the response of freedom loving Americans if you were to do that in 1800 America? Do you understand our agony and disappointment?
Yamamoto told the Congressional hearing that “We pressed the Ethiopian government to conduct an independent investigation of the violence and the arrests of thousands of civilians in 2005. The completed report from the commission appointed by Parliament is expected soon.” What type of an independent investigation is expected from a parliament where the rules of the game are changed, where the ruling party nominates only those coward personalities who are on the wishing list of the Prime Minster? Meles said he wants 328 votes as his election result, the NEBE gave him what he asked plus some more. Meles said he wants elected opposition leaders behind bars on trumped-up “genocide” charges, and he got what he wanted from the police and the courts. Meles will tell the “independent” investigation commission to find CUD leaders responsible for the alleged killing of seven policemen his Agazi troops “shot” in “cross-fire” (refer to the Ethiopian Ambassador’s testimony on cross-firing) he will get what he wants from the investigation commission. The kid is a spoilt brat, who demands whatever he wants, and all his creations have no choice but to kowtow to his psychological needs. And we have a State Department Bureau of African Affairs that supports such crass tactics as politics. Yamamoto knows that there cannot be an independent investigation of the June and November massacres, but he used the podium at the Congressional hall to misinform the congressmen/women. He also failed to tell the truth about the resignation of investigation commission members; because he knew such information will cast doubt on the independence of the body whose report he told the congress to “expect soon”.
Yamamoto testified that “The United States has supported efforts through which opposition members elected to the Addis Ababa city council sought to assume control of the capital city, in accordance with their electoral mandate.” What Yamamoto willingly forgets is that the electoral mandate of the Addis Ababa Counselors does not include leaving their leaders in prison and help stabilize the rule of a tyrant by participating in a council whose Mayor is languishing on trumped-up charges, and whose citizens have become targets of an ethnically-charged hate assault. It is a betrayal of democracy for the United States’ Department of State Bureau for African Affairs to work hand in glove with a murderous regime, and force elected council members to take their seats at a time when their party has been made illegal, their leaders face trumped-up treason charges, when civil society is under attack. It is even more murderous to paint a flowery picture and say “We believe Ethiopia is heading in the right direction” at a time when the nation is at risk, at a time when the whole country cries for its liberty and freedom.
Yamamoto started his testimony by saying “As Africa’s second most populous nation, Ethiopia has an important part to play in enhancing the stability of East Africa.” That is true, but if Ethiopia is to play an important role in enhancing the stability of East Africa, then Ethiopia needs stability first. The direction the State Department’s Bureau for African Affairs is pushing Ethiopia by its active support of the tyrannical regime, will undermine the very interest the US wants to see in the region. The cowardly act of the PM is pushing the nation into a civil war, and the State Department’s complicity will only worsen the situation and hasten the destruction. As one intelligence report rightly concluded “At present, Zenawi seems to have the advantage, but as was shown recently by a similar situation in Kyrgyzstan, appearances can be deceiving, especially when the opposition is dominant in the capital city. At the very least, Ethiopia has entered a period of instability.”
Yamamoto put the rationale behind his policy by asserting “All of these actions have been undertaken in support of good governance and the primacy of democracy. We believe Ethiopia is heading in the right direction; in order to ensure positive momentum, the United States and the international community needs to work with Ethiopia to cultivate and nurture this process.” What is “heading in the right direction” mean? Is it the murder by Agazi forces of the spouse of an elected city council man in cold blood? Or the childish arrogance of a PM, who lashes at the elected opposition members of Parliament saying “I told you that neither foreigners nor Ethiopians will protect you from my wrath!? Or is it the unwise support of a state department who submits to the wishes of a tyrant who happens to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States in the name of fighting terrorism, and unleashes state terror on its own citizens? Where in the hell is “the right direction” leading to, Mr. Yamamoto? Your African policy in general and your Ethiopian policy in particular are killing a nation. It is killing the aspiration of a people to rise from thousands of years of sleep and agony.
If America is to stay true to the freedom loving aspiration of its founding fathers, to the call of Jefferson and Adams, the inept and may be “corrupt” administration at the Bureau for African Affairs of the State Department needs to be indicted for half-truths and dangerous lies; and a visionary leadership that believes in the humanity and capacity of Africans, in the capacity of Africans to dream for liberty has to emerge. Double talks and double standards will only create disappointment that will ultimately alienate the United States in Africa.
I wrote on December 19, 2005 “Let us call the foreign policy of the United States towards Ethiopia for what it is. It is racist. It doesn’t measure up with the aspirations of the Ethiopian people, and it has to be rejected. The Ethiopian people have voted for good governance, human rights, and the rule of law; and what they got in return after May 15 is mayhem and torture by the assassins in power, and sub-standard response by the Western allies of the government. Let us tell them clearly that their response doesn’t measure up with the reality on the ground. Let us wage an offensive diplomacy on the Western allies of the government”. Now that my fear has become a reality, let us go back to the basics and galvanize support for our incarcerated leaders in the city halls of America, in African-American churches, in the citadels of state capitals, in the congressional offices of the different states, among our neighbors, and in the shanty towns of Addis, and the liberated zones of the North West and the South West, the anti-fascist battle grounds of Shoa, and within the rank and file of the Ethiopian military. Let us not leave any stone unturned until we see our loved ones free from bars and barbed wires. The whole struggle has come down to a question of will. He who has the will to stay the course shall win, and we shall not be the first to blink. Let us tell Yamamoto and Meles that they cannot kill our will to fight but only harden it. Let us diligently work on building the people’s capacity to realize their aspiration for freedom and liberty, and when we reach that point of equilibrium both the tyrant and his allies will honor us and talk to us as equals. Until then all the diplomatic nicety and pleading and crying will only be seen as the wailing of inept slaves. Back to the basics compatriots!
* Yared Tibebu is an Ethiopian based in the USA, he can be reached at [email protected]