US imperialists should stay out of Ethiopia!

Developing Just Leadership

Dr Mustafa Bothwell Mheta

Jumada' al-Ula' 18, 1443 2021-12-22

Daily News Analysis

by Dr Mustafa Bothwell Mheta

Reports that US special forces have been deployed to the conflict areas in Ethiopia is extremely worrying.

Why should the US army deploy in a country which has no borders with it, nor is there a war between them?

The Ethiopian government has been battling Tigrayan and Oromo rebels for quite some time now.

The Tigrayans and Oromos are some of the largest tribes in Ethiopia.

They have in the past contributed greatly to rebel groups that are largely credited with the overthrow of former Ethiopian dictator

Colonel Mengistu Haile Marriam who lives in exile in Harare now.

While they contributed to solving the greater problem—the removal of Mengistu—their tribal militias should have been disbanded after the overthrow of Mengistu dictatorship.

The presence of American special forces especially in the war zone is of great concern.

What business does America have in Tigray or Oromo?

According to reports, an American warship, the USS Essex along with two other large amphibious vehicles docked in Djibouti recently.

Last week the US military announced it was sending over 1000 National guard members to nearby Djibouti.

What is worrying is the talk in Washington about Ethiopia becoming another Libya.

The rhetoric during the NATO imposed war on Libya that “all options on the table” and “no fly zone” is being revived now.

Why should it be so? Is the Libyan debacle about to be repeated in Ethiopia?

Many analysts point to the fact that what we are seeing in Addis Ababa is the tale of the cold war scenario at play.

There is no doubt that the US and its western imperial partners are being outsmarted by the Chinese and Russians on the continent.

Whether they admit it or not, the US and its European allies are becoming very unpopular on the continent.

While they are losing friends, China is gaining them.

This is due to their different approaches in dealing with Africa.

China is rising economically and militarily.

Further, the US and its NATO allies have brought nothing but death and destruction in every country that they have intervened in the last 20 years.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria offer ready examples.

This has emboldened the peoples’ resolve worldwide to resist US imperialism.

They are beginning to see the US and its NATO allies as warmongers.

Last September, the Biden regime sanctioned several Ethiopian government officials and let the criminal Tigrayan rebels scot-free.

Yet the UN blames both sides for having committed war crimes in this war.

This is highly suspicious.

It is unwise and dangerous to allow armed tribal militias to roam the streets freely.

This is a recipe for disaster especially in Africa where tribalism can be a big source of instability and often leads to bloodshed.

Given the US behaviour in Ethiopia, one cannot but be suspicious of their intentions.

Are the Americans assisting the rebels to take power in Addis Ababa and install a puppet Tigrayan government that will secure and retain US interest in the region?

Such a development would aim to reverse the Chinese march in Africa but it’s highly unlikely that they will succeed.

The US has also focused their legion of mainstream media outlets in worldwide to demonise Ethiopia while the rebels as suffering injustice.

A glance at mainstream media reports reveals the lies they are churning out.

Much of the world has started to see through these lies and dismiss them contemptuously.

The African Union should rally behind Ethiopia and Prime Minister Abby Ahmed and denounce this Imperial/Zionist war-mongering.

It should not allow a repeat of the Libyan fiasco.

It’s time to isolate the US!

Dr. Mustafa Mheta is Senior researcher/Head of Africa Desk at the Media Review Network in Johannesburg, South Africa