US Lawmakers’ Efforts to Thwart Law Enforcement Campaigns in Ethiopia

Press Release

November 18, 2020

Worldwide Ethiopian Civic Associations Network (WE-CAN) is an umbrella organization of over 57 civic groups from around the world, in which the overwhelming majority are Ethiopian-American community associations located in 29 major cities in the United States.

It has come to our attention that certain members of the US House and Senate are preparing a letter requesting the Honorable Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State, to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, followed by a peaceful dialogue amongst all parties.

It is regrettable that members of the US legislative bodies have been misled to pressure Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to abandon his law enforcement responsibilities, despite the deplorable crimes committed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). It is to be recalled that on November 4, 2020, the TPLF committed treasonous atrocities against the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), looting military hardware and massacring thousands of soldiers in a cowardly attack.

We believe that the measures taken by the government of Ethiopia are justified and judicious, and as a purely internal affair, the US should desist from putting pressure on the Prime Minister. Instead, we call upon the US, as a longtime friend of Ethiopia, to play a more constructive role to help bring the criminals to justice swiftly, while minimizing collateral civilian casualties. 

Further:

·  We call upon all Ethiopian-Americans, members of our network and friends of Ethiopia to contact their senators and Congressional representatives and demand that they support the law enforcement efforts of the Ethiopian government.

·   We fully support the Ethiopian government and the ENDF, and demand that they persevere in the effort to establish law and order and to bring criminals to justice with minimum civilian casualties.   

·  We call upon our brotherly people of Tigray to cooperate with the government and the ENDF in bringing the criminals among them to justice as swiftly as possible.  

WE-CAN Media Relations