Please join EAD in writing to Ambassador Brazeal
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Ethiopian-Americans for Democracy
hagerwedad@yahoo.com

August 29, 2005

Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal
Embassy of the United States
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Via Fax #011-251-1-242401, usemaddis@state.gov, BrazealAE@state.gov

Dear Madame Ambassador:

Your farewell address delivered on August 23 at the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce has confirmed in no uncertain terms your sympathy for the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi and your total disregard for, and insensitivity to, the will of the 72 million Ethiopians. At a time when the civilized world is still in total disbelief about the June 8th brutal massacre of over 40 peaceful protesters, your speech blamed refugees in foreign lands, and advised accommodation for the murderers.

At a time when all responsible groups, including the European Union election observers and members of the US Congress, are agonizing over ways of respecting the votes of the people of Ethiopia, you stepped out of the bounds of fundamental diplomatic decorum, and counseled the opposition to betray the voters' trust and to perpetuate Mr. Zenawi's autocratic rule. The people of Ethiopia expected you to ask why their votes were not respected and why the perpetrators of the June 8th massacre were not brought to justice. However, you have instead chosen to echo the trite propaganda of Meles Zenawi and evaded the hard questions. Perhaps, as your favorite author, Toni Morrison, wrote in The Bluest Eye: "There is really nothing more to say -- except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how."

The last 14 years of TPLF rule are eloquently summarized in Freedom House’s 2004 annual report:
“It is a milestone offering considerable disappointment: Despite early economic
gains, per capita income has started to fall; the specter of famine still looms as basic food security has eroded; and hopes for democratic advancement have been thwarted by a ruling party that stubbornly monopolizes political space. The opposition is harassed and intimidated, civil society suppressed, the media tightly controlled, and independent
voices stifled. The government brands those who propose alternative policy approaches as illegitimate, if not terrorists. It labors to reverse the acute poverty that afflicts millions of citizens but quells aspirations of increasingly competent nongovernmental entities poised to facilitate the development process. The government constructs systems meant to
appease donors and their demands for broader participation, then uses them to extend control.” http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/countryratings/ethiopia.htm

Madam Ambassador,

With all due respect, no "ordinary" Ethiopian will tell you "they want the political parties to accept election results, join Parliament, and work from within the system." Most Ethiopians are aware of the regime’s rejection of all overtures to work together including the opposition’s proposal for a peaceful transitional arrangement. Every ordinary Ethiopian knows that it is not in the nature of the TPLF to work in a democratic framework. That is why millions of ordinary Ethiopians went to the polls on May 15, 2005 and cast their votes of no confidence in Mr. Zenawi's 14 years of terror, economic mismanagement and national tragedy. As an emissary of the most powerful nation on Earth, we have no doubt that you are fully cognizant of the track record of the TPLF in this regard. The laws and constitution that Mr. Zenawi brags about, and you seem to be a proponent of, are nothing but another potent instrument of deception, repression and continuation of his brutal regime. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was correct when he pronounced in 1963:

"There are two types of laws: there are just laws and there are unjust laws...What is the difference between the two?... An unjust law is a man-made code that is out of harmony with the moral law..."

Thanks to visionary leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who defied unjust laws, today millions of people live in freedom, including people like Toni Morrison, whom you quoted in your speech. When Toni Morrison wrote, "The function of freedom is to free somebody else," she was sending a message to those beneficiaries of Dr. King's struggle not to forget those who live under unjust laws. If any laws are unjust, then Meles Zenawi's laws are a prime example. He manipulates them to defraud the people's votes, to persecute his political opponents, to plunder the scarce resources of the country, to foment ethnic strife, and to incapacitate the opposition in Parliament.

As you are undoubtedly aware, in the wake of his devastating defeat in Addis, he has changed the rules to make the city ungovernable for the incoming leaders. In anticipation that he would stay in power, he has passed new laws to make any minority opposition totally ineffective and irrelevant. Therefore, to encourage the Opposition to work within the system is to disregard the will of the Ethiopian people and to invite the Opposition to engage in a suicidal exercise. Most responsible observers agree that a lasting peace in Ethiopia would be realized only if the will of the people is respected.

You boldly and unabashedly professed that "Ethiopians realize that a democratic form of government, ... creates the most favorable conditions for assuring that their hard earned gains will be honored in the future." May we remind you that for the disfranchised Ethiopians the future is now. The insensitivity of your remark reminds one of what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said of the white moderates:

I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councilor or the Ku Klux Klan, but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice.

And, indeed in the case of Ethiopia, one of the great obstacles in their arduous march toward freedom is the constant distraction by those who attempt to provide cover to the dictator in the name of peace and stability. The famous South African activist, the Reverend Desmond Tutu, has expressed this very eloquently, when he said: "Stability and peace in our land will not come from the barrel of a gun, because peace without justice is an impossibility." Freedom from oppression is not a luxury item that could be postponed until a future time. Dr. King knew this all too well when he warned:

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

Madame Ambassador,

Your accusation of those of us in the Diaspora as "a loud and vitriolic minority of voices who ... urge those actually living here to act on the basis of old-think ethnic identification or frozen and aged images of how Ethiopia used to be" is baseless and farcical in its content, deplorable for its motive, and inconsistent with diplomatic norms. It is ludicrous to blame those in the Diaspora for the failed ethnic policies of your protégé, Meles Zenawi. We hope the sentiments expressed in your speech, especially the disparaging remarks about those of us in the Diaspora, are not a reflection of an official policy of the government of the United States.

The Ethiopian Diaspora is not a monolithic group. It has a plurality of views. It is a reflection of the diversity of Ethiopian society and as such does not represent any one ethnic group or religion. Further, we had hoped you would appreciate the Diaspora’s interest in its country of origin. We also thought you would have appreciated the use of technology and the Internet overseas Ethiopians use to echo their experiences and exposure to freedom and democracy.

Ethiopians overseas have the know-how and significant capital that could make a difference if encouraged and harnessed properly. The litmus test for confidence in a country’s investment environment is if the Diaspora puts its money in its country of origin. In China and Vietnam, for example, foreign investors came in only after the overseas citizens of those countries heavily invested.

It is undiplomatic and even un-American for a person of your position to chastise those Ethiopians in the Diaspora who, unlike their compatriots back home, could exercise their fundamental rights and express their anger at the massacre of peaceful demonstrators and at the blatant election frauds committed by Mr. Zenawi. We respectfully disagree with you that it is of any substance whether one is in Ethiopia or elsewhere to demand that the votes of the Ethiopian people be respected, that those who perpetrated the June 8th killings be brought to justice, that the ruling party should immediately desist its policy of ethnic cleansing, that the TPLF end monopolizing instruments of agricultural production and using them for political purposes, and that the government immediately stop its persecution of members and supporters of the Opposition. As Dr. King also said on December 5, 1955:

We are not wrong in what we are doing. If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. If we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to earth.


Madame Ambassador,

We realize that diplomats like you have the extraordinary responsibility of protecting the interests of the countries that they represent. We are all aware that Ethiopia is an important ally of the US in the fight against terrorism. As thiopian-Americans, we also care about the long-term interest of the United States. However, in our humble opinion the policy you have advocated in your speech cannot serve the long-term interest of the Unites States. History has taught us bitter lessons that a policy of appeasing dictators, like Mussolini and Hitler, would only have catastrophic results. The true and lasting allies of the US are the people of Ethiopia, who have demonstrated their resolve to extricate themselves from the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi once and for all. We are concerned that an impoverished Ethiopia under Meles Zenawi could become a breeding ground for terrorism. We believe a truly democratic Ethiopia will be the key to the stability of the Horn of Africa and a reliable ally of the United States.


We would like to close our comments with the following immortal words of Dr. King:

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

Respectfully yours,


Ethiopian-Americans for Democracy


CC: Secretary of State Rice, Fax 202-647-2283, secretary@state.gov

Her comment is really autregeous. I cann't believe she said that ordinary Ethiopians want opposition work with Woyane. Is she less educated like the Woyane cadres themselves? What type of servillence she conducted before she arrived at this conclusion? Historians, please put her under the list of people who put dark mark and untruthfull witness to Ethiopian History. She will be cursed by Ethiopian generations yet to come.

What is democracy? Is it not about freedom for all to do or express their opinion the way they see it? Who are we to tell the Ambassador that her observations are not accurate just because she does not agree to what, you, the diaspora think it is. It is a shame that you (the diaspora) attack people if they have opinion other than that support your views or ideas. This is not democaracy. This is intimidation.

You attacked the Senator (Smith) because he shared his views and beliefs that the opposition should join the parliament. Ypu attacked the AU because, in their opinion, the election was fair. You attacked the Carter Center because, they did not side with the diaspora. You applaud the EU because they said what the diaspora wanted to hear.

I am sick and tired of all of these. Honest Ethiopians are not voicing their opinions because they are afraid of being attacked. The campaign for the opposition or against the govenment is not helping or hurting the parties. It is destroying our Country. We are losing what ever we gained so far. It is hurting the progress and development of the country. No one is held accountable for spreading lies, false accusations and out right negativity. Because we are out of the country and that there is no danger of retaliation, we should not act irresponsibly. There are people at home, unfortunately, who believe that everybody abroad is well educated and know what they are doing. And they are following us blindly. Please people, be mindeful. Your actions and words have implications. Let our efforts be towards the progress of the country. Let us not waste our time in negativity that will hurt our country. God Bless Ethiopia !!!

City: USA

EAD YOU HAVE SAID IT RIGHT.

I AM VERY SURPRISED WHEN I HEARD THE ABMASSADER'S REMARKS.TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE WANTS TO IGNORE WHAT THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA WANTS AND CONTINUE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A GOVERMENT WHICH THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERED A SO CALLED WAR ON TERROR FRIEND.

THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA IS UNDER CONSTANT TERROR FROM THE MELES REGIME.

AMERICA SHOULD WAGE A WAR AGINEST TPLF REGIME AND FREE THE ETHIOPAN PEOPLE.

NO DOUBLE STANDARD.TERROR IS A TERROR EVERYWHERE REGARDLESS.

Email: chombe411@yahoo.com

City: fairfax

Many postings in Addis Ababa are involved in corruption including US ambassador. I would say all American Ambassador's in the country were/are one way or other corrupted.

But this is might looks an exaggeration no doubt. There are developed countries ambassadors who have been struggling to make (Ethiopia) better. Their names are less frequently heard, but they are there. We wish they would be identified in the recent election dispute situation but this woyane government with its bandit mentality would make their life difficult by accusing them of anything that any sane person could imagine.

Now here is simple puzzle about the honesty of EU politicians like Ana Gomez. Let me say something to this honest Lady from Portugal in relatively Portuguese language. Usted es una Señora con una integridad personal y política intachable. Usted debe ignorar los comentarios de los delincuentes sin educación salidos de la selva para dirigir un país hasta hace 14 años respetado por todo el mundo incluido su su Portugal.

Let's consider ALL CORRUPTED diplomats make ONLY FALSE statements and ALL HONEST diplomats make ONLY TRUE statements.

Now is it possible for any diplomats in Ethiopia to claim that she/he is a corrupt?

The worst thing I got from American ambassador Aurelia speech is that she has put in the same luggage woyane and hodam woyane supporters with opposition group and its supporters in diaspora. She has generalized people. Ethiopia runs in credit, otherwise how can woyane members and its hodam supporters buy a million dollar house. there are financing companies which finance such. if we would have had such system in Ethiopia, i think many of us would have had our own home.

For me, Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal speech was a ridiculous show addressing to minority Ethiopian ethnic group against the majority of Ethiopian people. From her name she must be originally from Latin America where the political corruption is daily breakfast. Madam Aurelia you should know what I am going to tell you now:

Honesto, Corrupt Politician/ambassador is a three-part short TV programs that humorously portrays the effects of governmental corruption around the world including American ambassadors in Ethiopia, particularly in Latin America Where American ambassador Aurelia originally come from. The character of Honesto is fictitious, embodying many qualities of a dishonest American official. Some TV portrays her/his rise and fall through a combination of live and archival footage, the recurring image of Honesto alternates with a stream of political ads, audio samples of speeches and newscasts. Honesto – Corrupt Politician's three segments follow the cycles of corruption prevalent in many societies:

1-la llegada,(the arrival)
2-las promesas, (the promises)and
3-la fuga, (the escape).

As she is leaving Ethiopia then she is doing the same thing like those corrupt Latin American politician. Shame on you Aurelia.

Madam Aurelia. I urge you to speak out honestly (honestamente) otherwise better you shut up. Cállese Sra. Embajadora para siempre o diga la verdad.

Email: smith@ankasa.com

City: anrkansa

Thank you EAD! What an excellent letter! For anyone with the capacity to learn it teaches an invaluable lesson in many ways.

I hope this message reaches all ambassadors of donor countries, Northern NGOS, and well-remunerated foreign consultants who often rush to preach to Ethiopians that we should be grateful for having Meles because he is "better than Mengistu." Who said that Ethiopians are condemned to choose between these two?

I cannot help but wonder if ambassadors to Ethiopia get instruction different from the ones given to their colleagues posted in countries like Zimbabwe, Georgia, Lebanon, and Ukraine? Ethiopians are told to accept however few parliamentary seats TPLF is kind enough to give the opposition. But in other countries the US actively encourages people to protest demanding that their vote be respected. The Secretary of State and US ambassadors do also threaten the incumbent to submit to the wishes of the voters. Why a different standard?

What is sad is this is not the first US Ambassador to diminish Ethiopians commitment for and entitlement to good governance. In a recent interview, asked about the violence following the May election, Ambassador David Shin said the violence, which resulted in the killing of over 40 peaceful demonstrators, would be unacceptable in countries like the US but it is not out of the ordinary for Ethiopia. It is very sad when ambassadors that are supposed to represent a great
country like the US make this kind of blunder.

How come ambassadors of a US government, a government that has made promoting democracy everywhere everywhere, fail Ethiopians so miserably?

Mrs.Brazeal knew all things.

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Mrs.Brazeal knows every move Melese makes before even he try to jump,why?CIA is the one paying his salary and his cadres,so's Isias and his cadres.The mouse and cat game will be over soon.

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Let us Ethiopians unite at the fortress of meqdella win the war,didn't the u.s regements secured thier country fortress after fortress?

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Your excellence Ambassador Aurelia E. Bra zeal


Dear Ambassador, I have learned that you have completed your diplomatic mission to Ethiopia. I wish you good luck for you and family.

Here is my concern. I have read your speech on on the farewell ceremony held August 23/2005.

You have shown a bald support for a tyrant government who daily kills, tortures and abuses political descents and ordinary citizens. The government your are backing has miserably failed the test for respect of international human rights protection and the rule of law. This government you are vouching for has stolen the voice of the people in front of the world.

As you are well ware, the US is paying in blood and sweat to advance global freedom and democracy. However, it is an irony for you, a diplomat representing the champions of democracy and freedom, to stand behind a labeled dictator "the butcher of Ad dis Abba"

Dear sir, what ever your motive may be you have created massive resentment towards the US. However poor that people are they matter in their own way. The Ethiopian people does not deserve to be ruled by the law of the jungle. Democracy is as important to us as it is to the US.

Respectfully submitted

Yohannes S.

Email: shyohannes@yahoo.com

City: nashville

Dear EAD,

The saying that "the pen is mighter than the sword" applies in good measure to your letter. You are a man of letter, and you are wisely putting it for good cause.

I will definitly follow your call to write a letter to the ambassador who is representing falsehood.

City: Paris

Many thanks EAD for expressing the views of millions of Ethiopins living in their native land and in the diaspora. Although I live here in the US, I was in Ethiopia recently. Ethiopians back home have similar views and anger against the Meles regime as those in the diaspora. The only difference is that if they express their frustration openly in Ethiopia, they will be shot... As many Ethiopians in the diaspora often visit their native country and are constatly in touch with relatives and friends living there, they are quite familiar with what is going on in Ethiopia. They understand very well the sufferings of their fellow country men/women under the tyranical rule of Meles. The distinction attempted to be made/exaggerated between the Ethiopians back home and those in the diaspora in this regard is absolutely wrong. It seems to be intended to misinform the uninformed ones and perhaps to play the game of divide and rule. Luckly, this does work any more. It is sad that Ambassador Brazeal chose to do this by selectively critisizing the diaspora, similar to what Meles has been doing at least for the last 15 years.

It does not matter what excuses are given by Ambassadors...to change the current political reality in Ethiopia. One thing is very clear and remains to be the truth: Ethiopians rejected the present regime by their votes, etc. through the hard way. Stealing the votes, creating confusions, saying this and that... does not change this fact and will not change the views of the people. Any suggestions short of handling this reality according to the wishes of the Ethiopian people would be counterproductive. Ethiopians are not that stupid or dead to accept anything else following somebody's advice, but their own choice of government. If interested to solve the problem of the country, please work using this as a guide.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

I think Aurelia knows the fact, but because she is in a foreign country, dominated by die-hard and minority tribalist Woyane, she may be worrying about her safety. Why should suffer from arrogant Woyane like the hero Ana Gomez? Every one has a certain level of confidence. She definitely did not want to confront Woyanes, she knows them well how stupid they are. You can just see what Woyanes do to EU observers and lasty year against American Human Rights report. They always reject any report against them. In my life, I have never seen them submitting to an accusation from the millions of charges against them.

So Aurelia has gone home unattacked. Great for her.

Besides, America wants to sustain Woyane as long as the end of time. She is also executing that order.

By the way, one author under this topic, Genet, I have to appreciate, you are the 1st Woyane lady I ever know who is so educated. Wow.

Email: abathun@yahoo.com

City: BD

Abath,she Genet's a diehard woyane or a diehard wanna be.Look here woyanes preaches democracy and kills inoccent youth on day light(42) to be exact and this luntic Genet the nerve to tell us ''intimidation''you realy are a moron.As for Mrs.Brazeal she's a minority in American society(white society)she was told like a maid what ever the white house told her,in my book she was a lousy chef.

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Ethio-Americans for Democracy makes me to ask my self, what is my contribution. I really appreciate your hard work and determination.

Ethio-Americans for Democracy makes me to ask my self, what is my contribution?. I really appreciate your hard work and determination.

Dear Ambassador! Which people are you talking about?
The "people" in Sheraton Addis, the "people" in palace,... or the people of Ethiopia? I am really surprised and astonished to hear this kind of blind comment from the big deplomat of the United States.

Email: g_abera@hotmail.com

City: Dallas

Frankly speaking I am not happy with what the departing US Ambassador was trying to address up on her speech when the reality is quite obvious. M ay be it is the diplomatic way of explaining the worst things although I am not convinced that she didn’t know the current situation of Ethiopia.
The other assumption is that she may not have the chance to talk to the people limiting herself to ruling party persons only.
What ever here position was I strongly disagree with those persons who are writing in this website by the use of bad words or insulting.

Email: chelako@ethiopia.com

City: Oakland, California

I admire her courage to speak what she believes.Now a days in Ethiopia citizens are in fear to oppose not the armed government but the vocal oppositions.

Email: fantaye_2004@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Yes I agree with Heran.All vocal and immotional oppositions are inharry to return back the enfant democracy.They prefer to discus an immotion rather than the reasons.
God Bless Ethiopia!

Email: teteka_2003@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Guys let's recall the past 2 years. She is the first foreign diplomat that had large media coverage,why? Is that all because of her humaniterian action? I don't think this is the reason as there are alot of diplomat who contribute alot for the development of this country. But we need to think a bit deeper, I know she can have all the possible information regarding the existing opression being exercised here.
However she kept on blessing Melesse, I don't think it is rational to appreciate this crule person with all his supporter who killed 42 people in vain. Please think of these inocent people and their family.
May god give you the courage to speak truth regardless of any benefit that could be gain in expense of this poor people.

Thank you EDA!!

Email: fikrte.h@yahoo.com

City: mekele

lets try to swallow the reallity .that is it.it is fie up on you guys who are using internet and trying to make ethiopia in turmoils.i donot think you will be successful.you are living in democratic culture but you are not democrat you are intolerant.you are racist .we ethiopians living in ethipoia are more tolerant than you are .we do not have etinically divided churches like you .despite your racist propaganda we are living in harmony.i can imagin what would happen to ethiopia if the fate of ethiopia fall in your hand.god forbid ..............any way this is what the ambassador said . am so happy that she told you who you are

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

Those leaders who seek support from corrupt and frustrated diplomats do not have popular support. They do not know that those diplomats use the wrong thermometer to guage ethiopian political temprature. As the saying goes "hulum yedimet ewir honew yikeralu" - The time for that is fast approaching. Take my words!

Aurelia is assuring EPRDF that they will attain their goal of becoming a "dinasaur" in astonishing rapidity. You know what happend to the diansaurs? They became extinct!