Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke on the phone with President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Monday reflecting on the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia and opportunities to advance peace and reconciliation.
“President Biden commended Prime Minister Abiy on the recent release of several political prisoners, and the two leaders discussed ways to accelerate dialogue toward a negotiated ceasefire, the urgency of improving humanitarian access across Ethiopia, and the need to address the human rights concerns of all affected Ethiopians, including concerns about detentions of Ethiopians under the state of emergency,” the White House said in its statement.
“President Biden expressed concern that the ongoing hostilities, including recent air strikes, continue to cause civilian casualties and suffering, and he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to work alongside the African Union and regional partners to help Ethiopians peacefully resolve the conflict.”
“Both leaders underscored the importance of the U.S.-Ethiopia relationship, the potential to strengthen cooperation on a range of issues, and the need for concrete progress to resolve the conflict,” it said.
I held a candid phone conversation with @POTUS on current issues in Ethiopia, bilateral relations as well as regional matters. We both agree there is great value in strengthening our cooperation through constructive engagement founded on mutual respect.
— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) January 10, 2022
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on his part also twitted about his conversation with President Biden. His twit and facebook post have attracted thousands of comments including his supporters who are disappointed by the recent release of opposition politicians many those associated with the terrorist group- Tigray peoples Liberation Front (TPLF).
The over century-old relationship between Ethiopia and the United Sates has been deteriorating over the past few years mainly after the later began siding with the TPLF in relation to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia with the alleged intention of brining violent regime change.
The favoritism of the United States to Egypt during the last years of President Trump in relation to the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has also been one of the reasons for the deterioration of relations between in Ethiopia and the United States.
Such meddling of the United Sates in the internal affairs of Ethiopia has upset tens of thousands of Ethiopians in the diaspora, who a few months ago have launched a global #NoMore movement protesting interferences of powerful countries in the internal affairs of not so powerful sovereign nations.