Falls Church, Virginia (04/23/2021)—On April 23, 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Jeffrey Feltman as U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa. Feltman will coordinate U.S. efforts to resolve Ethiopia’s Tigrayan conflict as well as tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
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OLLAA applauds the appointment of Special Envoy Jeffrey Feltman and looks forward to the Biden administration increasing efforts to mediate an end to the Tigrayan conflict and increasing regional instability posed by Ethiopia. However, OLLAA is concerned that the outlined priorities of the new Special Envoy fail to address the conflict and unrest plaguing other regions of the country.
“This is a good step in the right direction, but I am disappointed that violence against Oromos and other groups has not been stated more forcefully,” said Seenaa Jimjimo, OLLAA Executive Director.
Since late March, hundreds of civilians have died and over 80,000 people are displaced in Oromia Special Zone (Wollo) following the launch of military operations in the region. Meanwhile, renewed conflict in Central Gondar Zone that began April 13 has reportedly killed at least 130 people, according to Kemant activists in the US.
These escalating regional conflicts are destabilizing large swathes of the country, increasing doubts that the national elections scheduled for June 05 can take place. It is imperative that Special Envoy Feltman includes these regional conflicts in his efforts to negotiate peace.
The Biden administration’s establishment of this new Special Envoy role comes at a crucial time for the Horn of Africa. OLLAA welcomes Special Envoy Feltman to the role and looks forward to supporting him in his efforts to secure peace and security for all Ethiopians.