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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer addresses human rights concerns in Ethiopia
Saturday, April 7

Interview by Nick Wadhams and Zoe Alsop

I think that Ethiopia is a reliable partner, but like any state-to-state relations, we’re not going to agree on everything. There are areas where we have common interests and there are areas in which our interests are divergent. Certainly when you get to the issue of strategy and tactics, the Ethiopians will follow their own national interests and so we continue to have dialogue with them. I know that we have a sustained, common, vital national security interest with Ethiopia as well as with the other countries in the region.

I would submit that the Human Rights Report is a public document and reflects the U.S. government’s concerns about the situation in Ethiopia, and we do those reports for every country around the world, and I think you will see common concerns expressed. We also of course have a very good relationship with Ethiopia so we don’t have to discuss our concerns in the public. We cert can have diplomacy privately through our ambassador, through my own engagement, and the secretary and others’ engagement, and so I think that, as I said, with any country we have a range of interests and working with the Ethiopian government to try to address domestic human rights and democracy continues to be an ongoing priority for the us.

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