Ethiopian American Diaspora Group: Message to U.S. Congress, U.S. State Department, and U.S. Secretary of Defense
Nov. 15, 2021
Today, following
statements from
two high-ranking U.S. foreign affairs and military leaders suggesting the possibility of U.S. military assets directly engaging in the conflict in Ethiopia's Northern Tigray regions, the
Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) released the following statement from EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari.
"U.S. military force should not be engaged or deployed in the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia's Northern region."
"We have a clear message to the U.S. government: U.S. military force should not be engaged or deployed in the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia's Northern region.
"The Tigray conflict is an internal conflict that needs to be addressed only by the Ethiopian people and their democratically-elected government.
"On behalf of Ethiopian Americans, EACC urges the U.S. government to stop the escalation of the situation in Ethiopia. Recent statements suggesting direct intervention are reckless and misguided. Considering what occurred in the final days of the 20-year Afghanistan occupation, the EACC doubts that most Americans would even support such an action.
"Instead, EACC has been advocating to the U.S. government to create a balanced foreign policy towards Ethiopia by advancing Ethiopia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and a strong bilateral partnership. Without a balanced approach, Ethiopia will be compelled to forge closer ties to foreign powers that will not fringe upon its sovereignty. We believe the faint suggestion of military intervention in Ethiopia could lead into a never-ending geopolitical crisis that will have far reaching impact for the region and global security.
"The EACC recognizes the vital national security importance U.S.-Ethiopian military missions with joint efforts to deter terrorist cells in the Horn of Africa. To this end, it is important to note that the Ethiopian people have paid the ultimate price in defending the national security of the United States.
"Now more than ever the United States needs to reexamine its policy approach to further strengthen its 118-year relationship with a democratic Ethiopia to remain a stable leader in the Horn of Africa. These objectives can only come to fruition through bilateral engagement by advancing national respect and mutual interests."
--EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph R. Tafari
Ethiopian American Civic Council: Is one the largest Ethiopian American diaspora community in the United States with approximately 750,000 supporters in all 50 states. The EACC represents all of the nearly 90 Ethiopian ethnic groups. The EACC is a US-based, 501(c) 4, nonprofit organization
