VZCZCXRO8258
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #1060/01 1270612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070612Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4661
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1880
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3350
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6632

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001060 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG AND AF/RSA 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PHUM ET
SUBJECT: Ethiopian Government Builds Case Against VOA 
 
Summary: 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Ethiopian State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu 
asked the Ambassador May 4 if the United States has now taken an 
anti-Ethiopia position and Ethiopia is no longer considered an ally of 
the United States in the region or in counterterrorism programs. 
Tekeda based his question on Voice of America (VOA) reporting, which he 
said reflects the views of the U.S. Government and,  Tekeda claimed, 
has "given a platform to unsubstantiated and outrageous anti-Ethiopian 
views." Tekeda specifically referred to a recent VOA report that 
originated in Washington and featured former State Department official 
Greg Stanton, now of Genocide Watch, who charged that Prime Minister 
Meles and the Ethiopian government should be investigated for possible 
acts of genocide by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) in 
Somalia and in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia's Somalia region. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Tekeda said the Ethiopian Government also found highly 
offensive a series of VOA interviews, aired over the past few days, of 
major opposition leader Berhanu Nega, now an associate professor at 
Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, who denounced the recent arrest in 
Addis Ababa of 35 current and former military officers and others for 
allegedly plotting to assassinate Ethiopian leaders and to encourage 
public violence against the government (septel).  Local press reported 
that the 35 belong to BerhanuQs Ginbot 7 organization.  Tekeda said the 
VOA has given Berhanu, whom he labeled "a criminal who could be a 
terrorist," a platform to air his views to promote violence, and Tekeda 
underscored that the evidence against Berhanu that will be produced 
during the upcoming trial of the 35 suspects.   Tekeda said no 
Ethiopian government official was interviewed prior to or in 
conjunction with the interviews with Berhanu.  Tekeda also raised the 
issue of possible extradition talks with the United States, though he 
added that the Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States would put up 
such a vocal opposition as to pressure the U.S. Congress to oppose any 
formal extradition agreement.  Dr. Tekeda said the Ethiopian Government 
was not taking any action against the VOA, but wanted the new Africa 
team at the State Department to understand Ethiopia's depth of 
frustration with VOA reporting.  End Summary. 
 
VOA Reflects a Changed U.S. Posture to Ethiopia 
--------- ------------------ ------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) Tekeda called in the Ambassador on May 4 to protest officially 
VOA reporting which the Ethiopian government (GoE) found highly 
offensive and outrageous because of allegedly unsubstantiated 
information being reported by VOA.  Specifically, Tekeda said the GoE 
objected to VOA's recent interview with Berhanu Nega, a leading 
opposition figure in exile, who may "be deemed a terrorist" by the GoE 
in the upcoming trial of 35 suspects arrested for plotting to 
assassinate Ethiopian leaders and to spread violence.  Tekeda said the 
GoE was unhappy that VOA gave Berhanu "credibility" as well as a 
platform to air his "anti-Ethiopian" views.  Tekeda asked if the United 
States had now changed its policy towards Ethiopia and no longer 
considers Ethiopia an ally in the region, in counterterrorism programs 
and peacekeeping operations, where Ethiopia contributes military forces 
to operations throughout Africa. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Tekeda reiterated that the 35 suspects are tied to BerhanuQs 
Ginbot 7 opposition group.  Tekeda noted that no Ethiopian official was 
interviewed prior to or in conjunction with the interview with Berhanu 
and that VOA gave only brief references to press statements by the 
Ethiopian Government.  Tekeda said upcoming trials for the 35 suspects 
may reveal the connection between Berhanu and the 35 suspects and that 
Berhanu could be involved in "possible terrorist activities."   The 
charges are so serious that Tekeda raised deep concerns that the VOA, 
which Ethiopia considers to be an arm of the USG, is giving credibility 
to a potential terrorist suspect. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Tekeda also raised briefly the VOA report of charges by Greg 
Stanton, a former State Department official and now head of Genocide 
Watch.  In a recent VOA broadcast that originated in Washington, 
Stanton said that Prime Minister Meles could potentially be brought up 
on charges of crimes against humanity or genocide stemming from ENDF 
operations in Somalia and the Ogaden area of Ethiopias Somali region. 
Tekeda called  VOA decision to air such "unsubstantiated" reports 
outrageous, and wondered aloud how the United States could encourage 
such reporting from VOA.  After the Stanton report initially appeared, 
the GOE Office of Government Communications suspended the press 
credentials of the two VOA Amharic service reporters resident in 
Ethiopia.  They reversed the decision several days later and returned 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00001060  002 OF 002 
 
 
the credentials. 
 
Extradition 
----------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Tekeda raised the possibility of renewing talks over entering 
a bilateral extradition treaty.  He speculated that such talks would 
probably go nowhere because the Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States 
"is so vocal that the U.S. Congress would be compelled to oppose any 
talks on extraditing suspected criminals." 
 
Comment: 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Tekeda concluded that the Ethiopian government was not taking 
any action against the VOA at this time, but wanted the new Africa team 
in Washington to understand the GoE's level of frustration and anger 
with VOA reporting.  More ominous is the continued drumbeat and 
statements from all levels of the GoE, and particularly the ruling 
partyQs powerful executive committee, that indicates a profound belief 
among GoE leadership that the U.S. has changed its policy towards 
Ethiopia, that the Ethiopian Government needs to brace itself for a 
tougher U.S. posture towards Ethiopia, and that Ethiopia accordingly 
needs to develop better relations with third countries to hedge against 
a souring of U.S.-Ethiopia bilateral relations.  We hope that senior 
bilateral meetings, now being discussed in Washington, will help ease 
anxieties in Addis and improve relations.  Managing Ethiopia's apparent 
paranoia will be difficult.  At the heart of the paranoia is the 
long-troubled relationship with VOA Amharic service, where the GoE 
believes the employees have close ties to the opposition and are not 
balanced in their reporting, and the GoE's own reluctance to embrace 
genuine press freedom.   End Comment. 
YAMAMOTO