Ethan at MHIA West Africa blog has a great post on the possible flaring up once again of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war between two states over several miles of territory. The lengthy post is worth reading in its entirety, but in summary:
It’s probably instinctive to ask “Who are the good guys?” when contemplating international conflicts. I’ll save you the trouble – there are none here. Eritrean president Isaias Afewerke has created one of the most repressive states on the continent, banning anything resembling a free press and detaining and probably torturing opposition leaders. Ethiopian president Meles Zenawi has a much better sense of public relations, but showed his true colors when elections in 2005 threatened his grip on power – his government fired live ammunition into crowds of protesters, arrested thousands of people who demonstrated against rigged elections, and imprisoned nearly a hundred opposition figures, charging some with “genocide” and “treason”. Nice guys, both of them.
The US leans towards cooperation with Ethiopia as it works with the US to manage an invasion and occupation of Somalia and battling UIC Islamists in the country. But if neither country here is the “good guy,” what would justify Washington support for Ethiopia?
The US stance on Ethiopia is a confusing one, even for conservative republicans. Representative Tom Tancredo, best known for his fanatical opposition to immigration, asked [Dr. Jendayi Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs] if she could explain why the State Department seems to play ball with some human rights abusers and shun others… She couldn’t, characterizing our relationship with Ethiopia as “complex” and “multifaceted.” A useful guide to understanding those complications is my friend Akwe Amosu’s essay, Dangerous Times for Africa, where she points out that the US manages to condemn Zimbabwe, but has renewed bonds of friendship with more repressive Equatorial Guinea. Reading our positions in Africa requires an understanding of where the oil is and where we believe we’ll get support in the global war on terror. And that stance helps contribute to the growing sense that the US is deeply hypocritical about its commitment to democracy, human rights and the values of open societies.
Welcome to geopolitics: no easy answers and few good choices.
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COMMENTS / 2 COMMENTS
subadei added these pithy words on 21 Nov 07 at 11:03 pmand plenty of “necessary evils.” This isn’t the black and white simplicity of a John Wayne film or even the symmetrical ease that the Cold War brought. Those most critical of American hypocrisy might want to step back and cast an eye on the macroscopic realities. Additionally our own adherence to the “democracy abroad” taxonomy might be better served stowed away in a closet for a better time.
Skippy-san added these pithy words on 22 Nov 07 at 11:30 pmI thought you were talking about the war in Iraq when you said the world’s stupidist war….........
US policy in Africa has been flawed ever since it pushed the European colonial powers to give all these nations independence before they were ready. About 50 years too early to be precise.
