{ "id": "IN10939", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "number": "IN10939", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 583312, "date": "2018-07-27", "retrieved": "2018-08-07T13:48:18.152307", "title": "Ethiopia\u2019s New Prime Minister Visits the United States to \u201cBuild Bridges\u201d", "summary": "Ethiopia\u2019s new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, arrived in the United States on July 26 for a three-city tour, with stops in Washington, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis. It is his first U.S. trip since being elected by parliament on April 2, and the visit is focused on engaging the Ethiopian diaspora, who represent the second largest African diaspora population in the United States. Prime Minister Abiy\u2019s early outreach to Ethiopian-Americans is noteworthy, given outspoken criticism from some regarding governance under the ruling Ethiopian People\u2019s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which has been in power since 1991. Many Ethiopian-Americans have agitated for greater U.S. support for human rights and inclusive governance in Ethiopia, including through legislation such as H.Res. 128, which the House of Representatives adopted in April, and S.Res. 168.\nAt 41, Abiy is Africa\u2019s youngest head of state, leading the continent\u2019s fastest growing economy and second most populous country, home to over 100 million people. He is also the new head of the EPRDF, a coalition of ethnically based parties that has ruled Ethiopia since EPRDF rebels overthrew a Marxist junta in 1991. His predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in early 2018, declaring it necessary to pave the way for reforms that would \u201clead to sustainable peace and democracy.\u201d Under Hailemariam\u2019s rule, Ethiopia was rocked by anti-government protests and a security force crackdown in which hundreds were killed and more than 26,000 detained. A government-imposed state of emergency muted the demonstrations but failed to calm tensions, and some observers warned that Ethiopia risked state collapse. \nThe heartland of the protest movement was Abiy\u2019s home region of Oromia, which surrounds the capital and is home to Ethiopia\u2019s largest ethnic group, the Oromo. Their perceived marginalization by political elites has been a long-standing grievance. Many EPRDF critics have viewed the government as dominated by the minority ethnic group of Ethiopia\u2019s leader for two decades, Meles Zenawi, who died in 2012. The question now is whether Abiy can change that perception and address growing strains on the country\u2019s model of ethnic federalism. \nThe theme of Abiy\u2019s U.S. visit, \u201cBreak the wall, build bridges,\u201d is emblematic of his approach since taking office. He has attracted international headlines and optimism with fast-paced announcements of reforms and outreach to opponents, most notably to the leader of Ethiopia\u2019s neighbor and longtime adversary, Eritrea, but also to opposition leaders. While in the United States, he reconciled the two factions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which split when the EPRDF took power. Abiy has acknowledged critiques of EPRDF governance and \u201cthe need to address existing inequities that led to recent unrest,\u201d declaring that \u201cdemocracy cannot be realized in the absence of rights.\u201d The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights described \u201ctremendous hope, but also anxiety\u201d among Ethiopians on a recent visit, as well as \u201cexpectations of meaningful accountability\u201d for serious human rights abuses.\nUnder Abiy\u2019s leadership, the government has released thousands of political prisoners, lifted the state of emergency, removed terrorist designations on opposition groups, closed a notorious detention facility, and granted amnesty to jailed dissidents. He has replaced top security chiefs, fired prison officials, and begun a process to amend some of the country\u2019s most repressive laws. Abiy has acknowledged calls for electoral reforms and declared that Ethiopia has \u201cno option\u201d but to pursue \u201cmultiparty democracy supported by strong institutions that respect human rights and rule of law.\u201d He has pledged to reform the largely state-controlled economy, opening new sectors to foreign investment. \nPrime Minister Abiy\u2019s outreach to Eritrea could bring greater stability to the broader region. Abiy, who was a military intelligence officer during the Ethiopia-Eritrea border war (1998-2000) in which over 80,000 people died, announced in June that Ethiopia would implement a peace deal signed in 2000 to end a military stalemate that has endured for almost two decades. On July 9, the two governments declared the war over and heralded \u201ca new era of peace and friendship.\u201d They have taken steps to restore ties, resuming flights and reopening embassies and phone lines, reconnecting families divided by the war.\nBuilding trade ties could be transformative: landlocked Ethiopia currently relies on tiny Djibouti for access to the Red Sea, and links to Ethiopia\u2019s fast-growing economy could have a dramatic impact on Eritrea, particularly if it ends its practice of indefinite national service, which constrains Eritreans\u2019 ability to meet their families\u2019 basic needs and fuels migration. The UN Secretary-General suggests that peace could render \u201cobsolete\u201d the conditions under which UN sanctions on Eritrea were imposed. Ethiopia\u2019s support, as a member of the UN Security Council, would be critical, particularly if Ethiopia could facilitate an end to Eritrea\u2019s border dispute with Djibouti. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been an important player in Ethiopia and Eritrea\u2019s rapprochement\u2014it has taken an increasingly assertive role in the Horn of Africa in recent years, securing new port deals and establishing a military base in Eritrea for operations in Yemen. In June, the UAE pledged $3 billion in support to Ethiopia, to address a severe foreign exchange shortage and expand investments in the country. \nWhile Abiy\u2019s early overtures have earned praise, support for him is not universal. In June, a grenade attack marred his first public speech in the capital. The government blamed \u201canti-peace elements;\u201d some Ethiopians do not support Abiy\u2019s concessions on the Eritrea border dispute. He faces likely headwinds from EPRDF hardliners. Some critics contend Abiy is not doing enough to curb intercommunal violence: more than 2.6 million Ethiopians are currently displaced, most uprooted by conflict in the past year. Human rights activists have responded to Abiy with cautious optimism, but urge further actions to end human rights abuses in Ethiopia\u2019s prisons, bolster independent institutions, and implement various political reforms ahead of elections in 2020. \nU.S. officials have welcomed the prime minister\u2019s efforts and promised support for reform and peace initiatives, with possible foreign aid implications. U.S. assistance to Ethiopia regularly totals over $1 billion annually, to address chronic food insecurity, boost health indicators and economic growth, and support regional peace and security contributions. For more background, see CRS In Focus IF10185, Ethiopia.", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/IN10939", "sha1": "fdba2364e213ad026c42a0437845e984cc714532", "filename": "files/20180727_IN10939_fdba2364e213ad026c42a0437845e984cc714532.html", "images": {} }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/IN10939", "sha1": "1d81ac19b4e36fd46203c6c5db3934744f8ac687", "filename": "files/20180727_IN10939_1d81ac19b4e36fd46203c6c5db3934744f8ac687.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "CRS Insights" ] }