海角大神

Is Obama's trip to Ethiopia validation of corrupt regime?

Human rights advocates say President Obama's visit, the first by a sitting US commander-in-chief, lends an air of legitimacy to a corrupt government.

President Barack Obama spent Monday huddled with Ethiopia鈥檚 leaders, discussing counterterrorism, human rights, and regional security.

The visit marks the first by a sitting US president to the East African nation, and follows a much-anticipated trip to Kenya, his late father鈥檚 homeland. The visit to Ethiopia, however, has drawn criticism from human rights advocates who say Mr. Obama鈥檚 presence there gives validation to a government that is using national security concerns as an excuse to suppress opposition and curb basic freedoms.

鈥淚t undermines a lot of the presidential goals about good governance on the continent," Sarah Margon, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, told the Associated Press. 鈥淚n many ways, I guess it鈥檚 a reward. Ethiopia at this time doesn鈥檛 deserve that.鈥�

Ahead of the president鈥檚 arrival, the Ethiopian government released several journalists and bloggers it had been holding since April 2014 on charges of incitement and terrorism. But many others remain in detention, and the country remains the fourth-worst jailer of journalists in the world, behind China, Iran, and Eritrea, according to from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser,聽defended Obama鈥檚 visit, saying the stop is not a seal of approval but a recognition that the two governments share a broad set of interests. Indeed, the United States has a strong defense partnership with Ethiopia in the fight against terrorism, particularly against the Al Shabab group in neighboring Somalia: Ethiopia shares intelligence with American officials and sends troops into Somalia to address instability there.

On Monday, Obama said he discussed steps to promote human rights and democracy in the country, adding that he 鈥渨as frank in his discussions with Ethiopian leaders about the need to allow political opponents to operate freely,鈥� .

鈥淲hen all voices are being heard, when people know they are being included in the political process, that makes a country more successful,鈥� Obama said at a joint news conference in Addis Ababa Monday night with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

He added: 鈥淢y message to the people of Ethiopia is: as you take steps moving your country forward the United States will be standing by you the entire way.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 statement mirrors that which he had for Kenya, which is also bogged down by corruption 鈥� and where Obama has also faced criticism for what some see as his hands-off approach to the country鈥檚 governance issues because of a security partnership, 海角大神鈥檚 Ariel Zirulnick reported.

In both countries, the president pushed a policy of 鈥渉elping Africans help themselves,鈥� a concept that experts have said would be a major theme of Obama鈥檚 trip.

Still, 鈥渢he administration鈥檚 goal is to build African capacities and support them rather than try to introduce new programs from the outside,鈥� Joseph Siegle, director of research at the National Defense University鈥檚 Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, told the Monitor鈥檚 Howard LaFranchi.

The idea, Dr. Siegle said, is 鈥渉elping Africans help themselves,鈥� whether the discussion is about encouraging African entrepreneurship with American seed money, addressing Africa鈥檚 electricity deficit through Obama鈥檚 Power Africa initiative, or US support for the African Union鈥檚 peacekeeping forces, Mr. LaFranchi wrote.

While Obama鈥檚 approach has disappointed some human rights advocates, others have taken a more pragmatic view.

Woretaw Wassie, head of finance for Ethiopian Semayawi聽opposition party, that they do not expect Obama鈥檚 visit to result in any major political change. 聽

鈥淥ur supporters are not seeing this visit as such a big deal,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is the duty of the Americans to do business with their allies, whether they are dictators or democrats.鈥�

This report contains material from the Associated Press.