I arrived in Ethiopia just as the city was preparing for the newly elected administration to enter office. Armed soldiers in blue camouflage uniforms were taking up posts at every street corner to make sure there was no funny business during processions in Meskel Square. Dignitaries had come in from all over the world to recognize the new government, so large parts of Kirkos were blocked off from traffic for their security. And as a tourist who was trying to see the sites, that meant I was stuck in taxis many mornings, which led to long conversations with taxi drivers.
I recorded the celebrations from a passing truck as an excuse to capture a few seconds of footage of the armed soldiers. They shouted at me to leave after this.
I briefed countless taxi drivers about my family and life in America in return for their stories. Some drivers were very friendly, and several had a bone to pick with me about my country’s meddling in Ethiopia. Biden’s administration was drafting sanctions against Ethiopia for its failure to deescalate the conflict in Tigray and for preventing the delivery of US-funded humanitarian aid to the region. When it comes to seeing things from the Ethiopian nationalist point of view, I can’t thank Tewodros, my impassioned Ride driver, enough for the low-down. Tewodros drove me to the Lucy exhibition, which lives in the National Museum of Ethiopia. After some chit-chat about tourist attractions, a tank blocked our view of the road, prompting Tewodros’ explanation for the sorry state that Addis Ababa appeared in.
He pointed out shuttered businesses along the road whose owners were forced to close their shops because of their public support for Tigray. He told me that only a week before I arrived, officials in the central government who are supporters of Tigray were jailed, and that he hoped that their disablement would lead to a sooner victory over the rebellion. Finally, he explained that America was perpetuating this war by threatening sanctions on an already vulnerable Ethiopia while providing vehicles, food, and medical supplies to Tigrayan rebels under the guise of humanitarian aid to slow Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (the same one that former President Trump warned the Egyptians would bomb).
You find tanks and USAID vehicles all throughout Addis Ababa.
My prior understanding was that Eritrean and Ethiopian forces were collaborating to cut off American aid in order to manufacture a humanitarian crisis and cripple the Tigray region. Towedros’ perspective was a complete reversal of that. I felt an obligation to tell him that he was being fed fake news and that he shouldn’t think of America so negatively, but I literally didn’t know any better. Plus, my source of truth was the Western media. While the rest of Africa was being plundered by Western powers, Ethiopia uniquely resisted colonization twice, so you can understand why their history might have sowed a general distrust of foreign influence. I decided that instead of arguing, I should just look up the validity of his claims.
What is USAID doing in Ethiopia?
UNITED STATES PROVIDES ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN AID AND AIRLIFTS RELIEF SUPPLIES TO HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE CRISIS IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA🇺🇸 USAID press release
Is the United States providing supplies to Tigrayan rebel troops?
ADDIS DIALOGE , EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH USAID MISSION DIRECTOR TO ETHIOPIA SEAN JONES |
🇪🇹 Ethiopian Broadcasting Company is a state-run media channel.
