OBAMA DISCUSSES SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA

Addis Ababa, 12 Shawwal 1436/28 July 2015 (MINA) – President Barack Obama arrived in Ethiopia Monday morning to hold talks with African country’s leaders. The main topics to be covered in talks were counterterrorism, human rights and regional security issues.

Obama and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn were holding a bilateral meeting, followed by a joint news conference. Obama was then to convene a meeting of African leaders on the crisis in neighboring South Sudan.

President Barack Obama urged Ethiopia’s leaders Monday to curb crackdowns on press freedom and political openness as he opened a trip that human rights groups say legitimizes an oppressive government, World Bulletin quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

“When all voices are being heard, when people know they are being included in the political process, that makes a country more successful,” Obama said during a joint news conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Despite Ethiopia’s progress, there are deep concerns about political freedoms on the heels of May elections in which the ruling party won every seat in parliament.

Obama said he was frank in his discussions with Ethiopian leaders about the need to allow political opponents to operate freely. He also defended his decision to travel to the East African nation, comparing it to U.S. engagement with China, another nation with a poor human rights record.

“Nobody questions our need to engage with large countries where we may have differences on these issues,” he said. “That’s true with Africa as well.”

The president has faced criticism from human rights groups and others for visiting Ethiopia.

Critics say his trip lends legitimacy to a government that uses national security concerns as a pretext to stifle opposition and curtail basic freedoms.

President Obama is the first US president in office to come to East African nation with an official visit. (T/P002/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)