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Alastair Thompson Profile picture
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4 Aug, 4 tweets, 2 min read
These reports from @Belay_Ma are seriously alarming. Additional sourcing confirmation would be helpful. @ArayaTesfamari1?

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More from @althecat

Alastair Thompson Profile picture
6 Aug
Unfortunately @PowerUSAID @SamanthaJPower appears to have learned absolutely nothing from her visit. This interview with NPR is self-regarding and childish.

This IV undermines an positivity from her somewhat conciliatory remarks at her press conference in Addis.
The delegation of responsibility for diplomacy over the #HornOfAfrica made to the @USAID agency needs to be revoked. The @StateDept will struggle to disentangle @PowerUSAID's ego from this conflict if she remains in any manner associated with it.
The U.S Govt. needs to now make a bold step if there is to be any hope of restoring any order to the #HornOfAfrica. At this stage it is unclear that they wish to do so, and inside Ethiopia their credibility has been deeply undermined by @PowerUSAID's visit.
Read 13 tweets
Alastair Thompson Profile picture
5 Aug
It appears that @PowerUSAID heard the request from Addis media (e.g. @GetachewSS) to hold a press conference and the transcript has now been published.

It is revealing in interesting ways and a lot more diplomatic than her recent tweets/videos.
usaid.gov/news-informati…
Some initial thoughts:
- She stays within her role as Secretary of @USAID, focusing on humanitarian issues.
- She warns about dangerous rhetoric without being offensive.
- She says she expects to meet with @AbiyAhmedAli soon.
- She refers to HoA envoy Jeffrey Feltman.
She took four questions. All of which addressed the TPLF directly.

In her answers she is more critical of the TPLF than she has been previously, and that is what this thread will focus on.

She was not asked about and does not mention the alleged #HumeraMassacre
Read 46 tweets
Alastair Thompson Profile picture
5 Aug
I will comment. This follows similar sane and sensible remarks on this issue from the former Trump @StateDept Undersecretary for African Affairs, who succeeded @USAmbUN in the role.
Which I see are in @BlenMamoDT’s replies here.
That said the Trump Admin. played a massive part in bringing this catastrophe about by:
1. Tipping the scales in #GERD filling negs. (2019-20)
2. Sanctioning Ethiopia over #GERD filling. (Aug 20)
3. Trump green-lighting Egyptian military belligerence over #GERD. (Oct 20.)
Read 5 tweets
Alastair Thompson Profile picture
4 Aug
So @PowerUSAID missed out on a meeting with @AbiyAhmedAli in the end. She flew in late at night, and it’s not clear who she did meet. But in the annals of diplomatic snubs this one is pretty epic.
Her diplomatic failure is already being compared to an incident in the same region involving Sudan Rice which some think led to the war between Eritrea claiming an additional 100,000 lives.
. @SamanthaJPower had been expected in Addis Ababa on Monday or Tuesday. Instead she spent her visit in Sudan heaping praise on the not yet elected govt. before flying in to Addis late at night to avoid protests. Her visit was always scheduled to end today.
Read 13 tweets
Alastair Thompson Profile picture
4 Aug
One final thought for tonight. My reasons for being concerned about #CDFC and the site edited by @GPEditor.

The term "Lethal Journalism" is itself lethal to the truth. It tars all journalism with falsehood. And naming things is very important.
The term is also dangerous to journalists. cpj.org

32 journalists were killed in 2020 cpj.org/data/killed/20…
And 13 so far in cpj.org/data/killed/20…

Good journalism is utterly vital in the fight for peace. And without journalism democracy cannot function.
The documented use and abuse of journalism in war is also a very serious problem. Especially by the United States but not exclusively.

Information warfare is accelerating at massive pace via social media, and the U.S. is ground zero for its innovation and deployment.
Read 10 tweets
Alastair Thompson Profile picture
4 Aug
Listening to it feels like encountering a completely alternative reality. Seriously WTAF. @AnnGarrison @EugenePuryear @wdavison10
The comments from the person from the @USIP interviewee stand out for their in-congruence and disconnection with all that has happened in the past month.

And draw even more attention to this: usip.org/publications/2…

@BronwynBruton @jeffpropulsion
I have close to zero confidence that @PowerUSAID is in Ethiopia to do anything other than apply coercive pressure on @AbiyAhmedAli and Ethiopia at this point.
Read 8 tweets

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