GOSSIP Ethiopia (Addis Fortune)

August 24th, 2009 | EthioPolitics.com |

Addis Fortune’s GOSSIP

It does not really take much of a prophecy to understand that whoever is to be Ethiopia’s next Prime Minister, from the Revolutionary Democratic camp, will have a rough ride with Obama’s Administration. The signs are everywhere, claims gossip.

For instance, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, a darling of the West for his articulation of Africa’s agenda during the G8 Summit, (the strongly liberal magazine The Economist described him as a person with sharp mind, elephantine memory and bristling with energy and vigour) was not invited when President Obama visited Accra, Ghana. There were heads of state invited from around Africa, though. Clearly, Meles was a notable absence from the crowd. He may not be considered by the new administration as a head of a government, “that respects the will of their own people”, gossip assumed.

Neither was Ethiopia one of the seven countries for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to visit during her 11-day tour of Africa. This was despite the much said alliance between her country and Ethiopia in fighting the “mad mullahs” in Somalia. Clinton rather preferred to meet with the leader of Somalia’s embattled government, Sheikh Sherif Ahmed, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Gossip claims these are not isolated incidents. They are thoughtfully done to send a signal to Ethiopian leaders that time has indeed changed. The new administration gives priority to issues of democracy and the respect for human rights, gossip said.

Just in case this was not well-portrayed in Addis Abeba, the Administration sent its Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, John Carson few months ago. Carson, who was reportedly gentle with Ethiopian authorities, met for dinner with Bereket Simon, minister for Government Communications Affairs Office. The following day, he had met Seyee Abraha, now spearheading the electoral front against the incumbent he once was a chief architect of, over breakfast, gossip disclosed.

Carson could afford to be as gentle as he could, for he was a guest and it was his first visit, claims gossip. Nevertheless, his follow-up visits will hardly be as courteous, according to gossip.

Pundits say the Obama administration follows “progressive realism”, judging how carefully Mrs. Clinton threaded when it came to China. It would be naïve for people in third world countries to expect the new Administration to play tough at the expense of America’s core interests.

But progressive realism requires emissaries representing their countries in Washington D.C. to be well-groomed and highly experienced in order to play the diplomatic play. It appears now this need is felt in Addis Abeba. The government has already recalled Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United States, Samuel Assefa (PhD), after only serving one term, gossip revealed. The office in Washington D.C. will soon be vacant and awaiting a new replacement, according to gossip.

The Ambassador was seen in Addis Abeba two weeks ago, perhaps on his way back from the AGOA Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya.

However, he would not be alone in serving one term. Yusuf Sukkur, another one term ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is back in town, perhaps wandering around until his bosses figure out what to do with him, according to gossip.