U.S. Visa Restrictions on Ethiopia Threatens Horn of Africa: Lawrence Freeman
Addis Ababa, May 25, 2021 (FBC) – The well-known political and economic analyst who has has 30 years of experience on in African development policy, Lawrence Freeman said that the visa restrictions the United States government has announced on Ethiopian officials and its curbs on economic and security assistance could endanger the entire Horn of Africa region apart from harming the two countries long standing cooperation.
Following the U.S. announcement on visa restrictions and imposed wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia, the well-known Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, Lawrence Freeman stated that “this new U.S. posture towards Ethiopia is reckless and perilous.” Freeman noted that Ethiopia has played an indispensable role in ensuring peace and stability in East Africa and it has remained strong U.S. ally in fighting terrorist and militant elements in the volatile region.
“The new U.S. announcement of bilateral and possibly multilateral assault against Ethiopia will not only reverse decades of cooperation between the two countries, but also threatens the entire Horn of Africa and beyond.” he said.
As to him, these types of measures are usually reserved for enemies of the U.S., and it is a strange and ‘reckless’ measure against its long time trusted ally.
The U.S. draconian assault against Ethiopia could potentially contribute to weaken the latter by encouraging more ethno-nationalist attacks on the government, the analyst added.