US-Ethiopian Relations

The history of relations between Ethiopia and the United States begins in 1903 ^[1] In the summer of 1903, Theodore Roosevelt announced the departure of an official mission in November. The mission proceeded through the ports of Djibouti, and on December 27, 1903 the first friendship and trade agreement between the countries was signed ^[2] , and in the same year an American consulate was opened in Addis Ababa, which was later transformed in 1909 into an embassy ^[3] On July 27, 1914, Ethiopia and the United States signed a new treaty, which replaced the agreement of 1903. The United States, at that time showed interest mainly in Latin America and the Far East , did not take active action in Ethiopia . Even between the world wars, their activity in Ethiopia was rather weak. Only after the Second World War, Ethiopia will be among those African countries in which Washington will take a strong position. ^[four]

After the Second World War, being one of the victorious countries, the United States of America won the position of one of the leading powers in the world. This obliged a comprehensive foreign policy. Following the announcement of the Truman Doctrine, Ethiopian policies have taken on a new dimension.

Simultaneously with the emergence of the state of Israel on the political map of the world and the emergence of the Arab-Israeli conflict , a no less acute solution to the contradictions required a growing dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea . As you know, before the outbreak of World War II, Italy occupied Eritrea , which at that time was one of the Ethiopian provinces. The Allied forces, who defeated Italians in the region during the East African campaign , captured Eritrea , which was further controlled by the British Military Government (BMA).

The policy of the United States at that time was carried out in accordance with economic interests, as a result of which they could not make harsh statements about Italy ^[5] .

When the special commissions failed to reach a solution, the problem of Eritrea was referred to the UN . The United Nations sent a mission in 1948 to clarify the interests and wishes of the population, split between the desire for independence and unconditional unification with Ethiopia . Eritrean Muslims widely advocated independence, since their territories have long been the object of raids by Christian Ethiopia. Tigra , a tribe of highland Christian Eritrea , was divided between independence and an alliance with Ethiopia . Since the end of 1940, clashes between two groups began: the pro-Ethiopian unionist party and the separatist bloc for independence. Their clashes took place with each other in a tense political environment, and the debates of that era clearly demonstrated deep friction between communities and regions, and political violence - mainly from unionists who opposed independence - increased markedly ^[6] .

The 5th session of the UN General Assembly (late 1949 - early 1950 ) approved the Anglo-American project to create a federation of Eritrea and Ethiopia, that is, in fact, the accession of all of Eritrea to Ethiopia. The Soviet Union opposed this decision, but, nevertheless, a victory was won for the bloc of the USA, Israel and Great Britain, whose ally was the Ethiopian emperor ^[7] .

The United States has reached a full understanding with Ethiopia, by which Eritrea joins in as a protector with autonomy within the federal system. This transfer of power took place on September 15, 1952, two years after the UN General Assembly voted to unite Ethiopia and Eritrea, which was done against the will of the vast majority of Eritreans.

American-Ethiopian friendship begins in the early 1970s, before the Ethiopian revolution. In 1972-1973 in Ethiopia, political instability began to increase, linked to the inability and neglect of the Ethiopian government to provide assistance to victims of the impending drought. With the development of satellite communications and technology, the American Kagnu base, located next to Asmara, has become the main determinant of post-military relations between the United States and the imperial regime of Haile Selassie. In August 1973, President Nixon endorsed the Secretary of Defense’s recommendation to scale down the Asmara base. When the Ethiopian government began to take seriously the growing threat from Somalia, which became the main element of a rational explanation for receiving significant military assistance from the United States. However, Congress rejected this request. ^[8]

The February Revolution of 1974 attracted absolutely all social groups, institutions, religious groups and nationalities, united in a joint opposition to the absolutist state. The coup and mass riot of soldiers preceded the beginning of the period of the socialist revolution in Ethiopia. In September 1974, the empire, which existed for about 3,000 years, was abolished ^[9] .

In December 1974, the Provisional Military Advisory Council (VVKS) announced the new state system of Ethiopia - it turned into a one-party socialist state. At the same time, Washington seemed to have lost its former orthodox aversion to socialism in third world countries, and outwardly behaved calmly with respect to the prospects of Ethiopian socialism ^[10] .

At the same time, Eritrea’s desire for independence intensified. Marxist-Leninist Mengistu Haile Mariam, who came to power, proposed to resolve all the contradictions within the framework of building socialism. But, nevertheless, the separatist rebel movement was actively gaining momentum, and began to operate in the province of Tigray. The People’s Liberation Front of Eritrea (NFEE) was led by Isayas Afevork, and the People’s Liberation Front of Tygrai was led by Meles Zenawi. Both are representatives of the Tigra people, and were united against Mengistu.

At that time, the United States, despite the withdrawal of the base from Asmara and the provision of military assistance to Ethiopia, avoided the open involvement of politically troubled neighbors within the borders of one state, but, nevertheless, the political tone in American-Ethiopian relations changed for a short time, namely:

1. The Ethiopian government was increasingly suspicious of US intentions and openly opposed their policies and actions in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia obviously no longer positioned itself as an ally of the United States.
2. When the fighting in Eritrea gained new strength and civilian casualties began to increase, the war was publicly debated in the United States, which clearly worried some members of Congress.
3. Administration officials were concerned that the supply of significant quantities of ammunition could lead to an undesirable degree of US involvement in the Ethiopian-Eritrean struggle, and could have undesirable consequences for the Americans, jeopardizing access to US maritime communications in Eritrea in Massawa and Asab (if Ethiopia loses war).

This can provoke the appearance of other adverse reactions, primarily from the Arab countries that supported the Eritreans.

By the fall of 1975, the Eritrean war was overshadowed by internal events in Ethiopia, which caused increased concern for human rights defenders in the West. Haile Sellasie’s death in August was due to the regret of many world leaders, including US President Gerald Ford, but this did not ease the tensions between Ethiopia and the United States.

On February 24, 1977, U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vence reported to the Senate Subcommittee on the Allocation of Foreign Operations that the Carter Administration decided to reduce aid to Argentina, Uruguay and Ethiopia because human rights in these countries were grossly violated. The presidential cabinet begins to focus on human rights and emphasizes the importance of this element in pursuing its foreign policy.

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