Thousands of Ethiopian Americans Stand by Biden's Decision to Pursue Diplomacy in Ethiopia and Halt Decision on Genocide

DENVER, Dec. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) applauds moves by the Biden Administration to prioritize diplomacy in Ethiopia's Tigray region -- where a dire conflict is over one-year-old and spilling into other parts of the country -- above determining if human rights abuses amount to the legal definition of genocide.

Writes The National in quoting Molly Phee, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, "We have decided to refrain at the current moment from making a public determination in order to allow space and time to see if the talks that are currently under way can make any progress."

"Our primary focus has been on trying to engage diplomatically in the many ways that are available to us to reach an end to the conflict, which would obviously result in the immediate end of the atrocities."

Biden's policy decision and Phee's statement comes one day after House Appropriations advanced House Resolution 4350. HR4350 authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the Department of Defense.  A recent amendment added a provision aiming to determine "potential genocide or crimes against humanity in Ethiopia" and now moves to the Senate.

The EACC is urging U.S. Senators to remove this amendment from HR4350, and rather, take the latest cue from the Biden Administration and Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

Said EACC Chairman and Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari:

"Biden's latest decision to prioritize diplomacy is a long awaited reassuring step to a pathway toward peace. We are hopeful that the Senate will heed the leadership of the Biden Administration and remove this amendment in HR4350.

"It is unspeakable for our Congress to draft an amendment to this resolution that undermines the democratically elected government of Ethiopia and omits reference to a rogue group of rebels who attempted to overthrow the Ethiopian government. Backing these rebels and a designated terrorist group -- the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) --  instead of a democratically elected government flies in the face of historical US policy.

"The amendment added to HR4350 is incorrect and does not take into account the TPLF is responsible for the unprovoked attack of the Ethiopian Defense Forces on November 4, 2020, which ignited the conflict still raging today in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

"Our Ethiopian American diaspora is composed of more than 700,000 supporters in all 50 states. Our community has long been advocating to the US government to create a balanced foreign policy approach towards Ethiopia to bring peace and end the Tigray conflict."

--EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph 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.

SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC)