ETHIOPIA
Reports indicate there are arbitrary detentions based on ethnicity in Addis Ababa, and that more than 900,000 are facing conflict-induced famine-like conditions. The Biden Administration this week suggested to the Government of Ethiopia that it halt its military campaign, including air strikes in population centers in Tigray, and mobilization of ethnic militias. Marking the end of a full year of conflict, Thursday evening Secretary of State Blinken issued a written press release calling for immediate action by the Ethiopian government to alleviate the suffering of the Ethiopian people. Blinken stated: “The United States reiterates our deep concern about the risk of intercommunal violence aggravated by bellicose rhetoric on all sides of the conflict, especially on social media. Inflammatory language fuels the flames of this conflict, pushing a peaceful resolution ever further away.” There is no indication from the Department that its statement had any effect on the situation.
SUDAN
Since the military takeover in Sudan, the State Department has made numerous statements in support of the Sudanese people and their aspirations for democracy. State Department Spokesman Ned Price noted that the military has shut down the Internet in Sudan and declared a state of emergency. Price called for the release of all civilian leaders and protest organizers, saying “We join the Sudanese people in calling for justice and accountability for the abuses of human rights… yesterday we spoke to a joint statement that we issued with our British partners, with our Emirati partners, with our Saudi partners, and much of the international community has issued a similar message calling for restoration of the civilian-led democratic government and calling for release of all of those detained since October 26th when the military takeover occurred.” Price pointed out that there are positive incentives but there are also potential and real repercussions. “When it comes to the repercussions that the United States has enacted already, we’ve spoken about the $700 million in Emergency Support Funding that have been paused unless and until the past democracy is restored,” he stated on Thursday. The message the Sudanese military is receiving from the international community is that they are at risk of losing billions in terms of debt relief, lending, and financing from international financial institutions.
IRAN
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HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
The Biden Administration is changing the State Department’s annual human rights report to reflect a new emphasis on its gender equity program. According to Department Spokesperson New Price, “Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a central pillar of US foreign policy. This includes promoting gender equity, gender equality, and the human rights of women and girls, and improved women’s health outcomes. And that is why today, the United States has released an addendum to the 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices addressing reproductive rights.” Advances in Chinese nuclear missile development and adventurism, Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, Covid, and other foreign policy challenges appear to be moving down the Top 10 priority list in favor of promoting the Biden Administration’s social agenda at home and abroad.
Illustration: Pixabay
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.