Washington: President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that they have decided to cut out Ethiopia from one american business programpaving the way for sanctions against the African nation for failing to end the nearly year-long war tigre Areas where there has been a “gross violation” of human rights.
Biden said in a letter to Congress that Ethiopia did not meet the eligibility requirements to remain a beneficiary of the African Development and Opportunity Act.
The program provides duty-free access to sub-Saharan African countries United States of america on the condition that they meet certain requirements, including removing barriers to American trade and investment and making progress toward political pluralism.
Biden also cited Guinea and Gardner In the letter to be out of compliance.
The president said Ethiopia was in “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights”.
This approval is effective from January 1.
US Trade Representative Catherine Tai said in a statement that her office “will provide each country with clear criteria for a path toward restoration and our administration will work with them to achieve that objective.”
Ethiopia’s government, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the White House’s action, had openly lobbied against the move.
Biden’s announcement came after US Horn of Africa envoy Jeffrey Feltman told reporters that the parties to the conflict “seem nowhere near” a ceasefire or talks and called the humanitarian conditions in the Tigre “unacceptable”.
The US and the United Nations say Ethiopian troops have blocked trucks carrying food and other aid. The Associated Press has reported that hundreds of people have died of hunger.
Biden signed an executive order in September threatening to impose sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in the conflict in the Tigre region if moves too soon to end the 11-month-old war. not picked up.
“Without question, the situation is getting worse and worse, and clearly we are becoming concerned about the situation,” he said, referring to the Ethiopian government’s blockade not only on the Tigre region, but the neighboring regions of Amhara. It also mentions the push of the Tigre forces. And Afar, over the past four months, has been exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
In a commentary last month in Foreign Policy magazine, Ethiopia’s chief trade negotiator Mamo Mihretu wrote that “Ethiopia’s budding manufacturing sector could face an existential threat” and that “the removal of AGOA entitlement would only worsen the condition of ordinary Ethiopians.” Who has nothing to do with Tigre. Confrontation.”
He said that under the AGOA in 2000, Ethiopia “exported US$28 million worth of goods to the United States; in 2020, this figure increased nearly tenfold and reached close to US$300 million, which is more than the AGOA’s.” It was about half under.”
He stressed that removing Ethiopia from the AGOA “would deal a serious blow to the welfare of millions of low-income workers.”
Ethiopia was one of Africa’s fastest growing economies in recent years, but war has stalled that momentum.
Feltman said just 13 percent of needed humanitarian aid has entered Tigre in recent months because of “deliberate” government sanctions, some food delivery partners have been forced to suspend their work, and “the body is already are consuming.”
“No government can tolerate armed rebellion. We get that,” he said, but added that no government “should engage in mass starvation against civilians.”
Feltman also warned that the US opposes any attempt by Tigre forces to “encircle” the Ethiopian capital, after taking control of the strategic cities of Daisy and Kombolcha over the past few days, allowing them to become a major highway. is put in the take down position. Capital.
Feltman said at a retreat in Washington in June, Ethiopian officials were warned that Ethiopia’s relationship with the US was at a crossroads.
That intersection, the special envoy, said, “is behind us.”
Mesfin Tegenu, the chairman of the American-Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee, estimated that most of the low-income female workers would be lost with the immediate effect of about 200,000 jobs.
“On behalf of the one million members of the Ethiopian-American community, we call on the administration to rethink,” Mesfin said in a statement.
Biden said in a letter to Congress that Ethiopia did not meet the eligibility requirements to remain a beneficiary of the African Development and Opportunity Act.
The program provides duty-free access to sub-Saharan African countries United States of america on the condition that they meet certain requirements, including removing barriers to American trade and investment and making progress toward political pluralism.
Biden also cited Guinea and Gardner In the letter to be out of compliance.
The president said Ethiopia was in “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights”.
This approval is effective from January 1.
US Trade Representative Catherine Tai said in a statement that her office “will provide each country with clear criteria for a path toward restoration and our administration will work with them to achieve that objective.”
Ethiopia’s government, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the White House’s action, had openly lobbied against the move.
Biden’s announcement came after US Horn of Africa envoy Jeffrey Feltman told reporters that the parties to the conflict “seem nowhere near” a ceasefire or talks and called the humanitarian conditions in the Tigre “unacceptable”.
The US and the United Nations say Ethiopian troops have blocked trucks carrying food and other aid. The Associated Press has reported that hundreds of people have died of hunger.
Biden signed an executive order in September threatening to impose sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in the conflict in the Tigre region if moves too soon to end the 11-month-old war. not picked up.
“Without question, the situation is getting worse and worse, and clearly we are becoming concerned about the situation,” he said, referring to the Ethiopian government’s blockade not only on the Tigre region, but the neighboring regions of Amhara. It also mentions the push of the Tigre forces. And Afar, over the past four months, has been exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
In a commentary last month in Foreign Policy magazine, Ethiopia’s chief trade negotiator Mamo Mihretu wrote that “Ethiopia’s budding manufacturing sector could face an existential threat” and that “the removal of AGOA entitlement would only worsen the condition of ordinary Ethiopians.” Who has nothing to do with Tigre. Confrontation.”
He said that under the AGOA in 2000, Ethiopia “exported US$28 million worth of goods to the United States; in 2020, this figure increased nearly tenfold and reached close to US$300 million, which is more than the AGOA’s.” It was about half under.”
He stressed that removing Ethiopia from the AGOA “would deal a serious blow to the welfare of millions of low-income workers.”
Ethiopia was one of Africa’s fastest growing economies in recent years, but war has stalled that momentum.
Feltman said just 13 percent of needed humanitarian aid has entered Tigre in recent months because of “deliberate” government sanctions, some food delivery partners have been forced to suspend their work, and “the body is already are consuming.”
“No government can tolerate armed rebellion. We get that,” he said, but added that no government “should engage in mass starvation against civilians.”
Feltman also warned that the US opposes any attempt by Tigre forces to “encircle” the Ethiopian capital, after taking control of the strategic cities of Daisy and Kombolcha over the past few days, allowing them to become a major highway. is put in the take down position. Capital.
Feltman said at a retreat in Washington in June, Ethiopian officials were warned that Ethiopia’s relationship with the US was at a crossroads.
That intersection, the special envoy, said, “is behind us.”
Mesfin Tegenu, the chairman of the American-Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee, estimated that most of the low-income female workers would be lost with the immediate effect of about 200,000 jobs.
“On behalf of the one million members of the Ethiopian-American community, we call on the administration to rethink,” Mesfin said in a statement.
.