Thread by @althecat

This is a great and very timely interview on ESAT Ethiopia.

Ethiopia - ESAT Insight US Policy on Ethiopia with @JoeBiden's Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Amb. Jeffrey D. Feltman

@JoeBiden Not sure how others felt about this, but Feltman's answers did not seem to me to be consistent with his objective, namely peace.

I would have liked to see him asked what pressure the U.S. Govt has applied to the TPLF to withdraw to Tigray.

See a partial transcript above:

Envoy Feltman's answers to Gizaw Legesse's questions about constitutional deliberations seemed particularly obtuse.

Particularly his use of the qualifier "mostly" twice wrt whether these questions are questions for "Ethiopians to decide."

Feltman simply failed to answer the first question in the transcript above. "Shouldn’t the United States be encouraging liberty and individual rights?” vs rights based on ethnicity?

Instead Feltman responded by pivoting to the issue justice and accountability for victims of war.

Arguably not answering that first question was the right thing to do, as this is a matter "mostly" for Ethiopians to decide, but by responding in the way he did, it felt to me like Feltman was suggesting that the issue of possible crimes committed in the war takes precedence.

And what exactly is this supposed to mean?

"This is not an American negotiating process. This is >> using the American diplomatic tools, behind an African initiative << to try to persuade the Ethiopians to pursue their objectives through peaceful means."

What tools?

I had thought that the U.S. was trying to be constructive and sincere in its efforts to bring peace to Ethiopia. To do so it needs to insist on a TPLF withdrawal back to Tigray.

Berhane Gebre Christos clearly stated on 21st November - speaking as as a spokesman for the TPLF to former and active ambassadors in the PCDI meeting - that the TPLF is not willing to negotiate a cessation of hostilities with out pre-conditions.

And after that meeting the TPLF launched further offensives in Amhara and Afar, incurring more mass loss of life, ignoring clear US statements made in the UNSC on November 8 asking them to withdraw.

Even the UN WFP now acknowledges (Friday 26 Nov briefing) that measured levels of child malnutrition are significantly higher in Afar and Amhara than they are in Tigray.

It is inconceivable that Feltman does not know this.

Earlier in the interview Feltman was asked to respond to the Govt's announcements of yesterday concerning its series of victories.

This is the question I was looking for a response to. And, I thought, the reason he had agreed to be interviewed yesterday.

His response to this was to say something to the effect of, the US Govt was evaluating the statements. So nothing. No response to a detailed statement from the PM's office or a detailed set of reports of military objectives. Does the USG not believe the GoE?

All of this begs the question which Envoy Feltman is most keen to avoid - and which he did avoid at the outset of this interview - why is false equivalence granted to a rebel group which is committing horrendous war crimes, and the legitimate elected govt. of Ethiopia.