Panelists Urge U.S. to Reconsider AGOA Decision on Ethiopia

January 25, 2022

BY HAILE DEMEKE

ADDIS ABABA— Members of Ethiopian and Eritrean communities urged the U.S. to reconsider the decision of revoking Ethiopia from the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) and revisit other restrictions.

Ethiopian American Civic Council (EAAC) Chairperson Deacon YosephTeferi said that the sanction is used as a weaponizing tool against developing countries particularly in Africa. Ethiopians as a country are the most robbed people in Africa and according to the  global financial integrity report up to 2012 over 30USD billion Ethiopian treasure has been looted out and deposited in foreign banks which is well aware by the U.S.. “We need to use every available tools to make sure our voices heard.”

Over the past 30 years ,TPLF had been using the resources of the country for funding of anti-peace elements working to destabilize Ethiopia. The Trojan horse TPLF has worked to undermine the legitimately elected government forcing the people of Ethiopia to compromise the sovereignty of the country, which is unacceptable.

“We want to have good relationships between U.S. and Ethiopia for enduring good relationship, President Biden put pressure on the warring Parties by putting sanction. The sanction will further worsen the situation than easing the problems. TPLF is among the wealthiest terrorist organizations and the U.S. administration needs to put sanction on the TPLF officials and need to dig out all the treasures that have been looted from Ethiopia and used by the terrorist group as a good faith,” the EAAC chairperson said.

Berhe Haile Giorgis (PhD) from the Eritrean-American Community said that : “ What people in the African continent should know is that especially in Ethiopia should understand when it comes to survival as a nation we have to stand together. Even though there are huge sufferings,the moral satisfaction earned in terms of winning is going to be paying off in the end and the nation that emerges after this ordeal is going to be very powerful.”

The Horn of African region is going to contribute huge things to Africa in terms of positive leadership and others set an example and the whole continent Africa will be great in all sectors in economy, politics and others, Berhe indicated.

Political-Economic Analyst for Africa Lawrence Freeman on his part said that some of the geopolitical factions do not care about the development of Africa rather they oppose  it and they are not interested in eliminating poverty, hunger and other related problems. Rather they are pursuing to achieve their own interest.

He, therefore, said that they don’t want to see independent leader in the continent and the people of Ethiopia need to be united in reversing the pressure. As we all have witnessed the U.S embassy has doing its level best in creating hysteria among the international community every week telling that they have to leave Ethiopia even by giving them loan. Attempts to weaken Ethiopia through economic strangulation and political isolation, in this turbulent period are dangerous and could cause problems in Ethiopia than solving the issue.

“Winning the war alone is not a goal and the ultimate goal is eliminating poverty and hunger. The government of Ethiopia has started many initiatives in a way to ensure food self-sufficiency by cultivating uncultivated land and irrigation mechanisms which is promising to ensure food self-sufficiency.”

The Ethiopian Herald January 25/2022