WASHINGTON – A veteran US diplomat who has handled turbulent ties with Turkey was named last week to tackle crises in Sudan and Ethiopia as the outgoing envoy looked to make progress in Addis Ababa. David Satterfield, the outgoing US ambassador to Turkey who has worked extensively in the Middle East, will become special envoy … Read more
NAIROBI – The Ethiopian government announced it was pardoning a number of high-profile political prisoners, including members of the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in a bid to promote “national dialogue”. The surprise move comes amid a lull in the brutal 14-month conflict in northern Ethiopia after a dramatic shift in battlefield fortunes at … Read more
GENEVA – The UN rights chief on Wednesday slammed the “extreme brutality” of the year-long war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, voicing alarm that a recent state of emergency would inflame the situation. Speaking in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet insisted on the need to bring to justice perpetrators of a vast array of rights abuses, including horrific killings … Read more
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Tuesday booted Ethiopia from a vital trade pact due to rights concerns as the historic US ally declared a state of emergency over rebel advances north of the capital. Frustrated after repeated warnings to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about suffering in the nearly year-old war, the Biden administration said it … Read more
