International Community Continues to Think about Thinking about Doing Something!
According to anonymous sources, the level of anger and disappointment in western capitals has reached such a high point, that the west has vigorously continued to think about thinking about sanctioning Meles. This is complicated, said our anonymous source, “what policy makers appear to be thinking about itself requires a lot of thinking”. Diplomatic sources also indicated that this is a major development and that it would put Meles in a predicament saying “Meles himself should start thinking about getting worried.”
The sources also indicated that they wished donors would not have to move to the next step, as that could carry serious consequences. “Imagine what actually thinking about sanctions can do” said one source without explaining further. He also said that the process is still in its early stages and that the west is reluctant to press hard as further developments could have detrimental effects. However, he also stressed that the level of commitment should not be underestimated, as the several interviews and foreign ministry press releases have demonstrated recently. As an example, he recalled what U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr. Donald Yamamoto recently said in an interview – that he cared about Ethiopia and that he flies to Ethiopia quiet often. “This is big and dandy!” the source stressed.
Other western sources seemed to agree and said that in the mean time, the Ethiopian people should feel some comfort about these developments. Trying to appease the Ethiopian populace, western diplomats also said they are committed to putting out statements that give the impression that they are actually doing something about the crisis. In the mean time, they said they were seriously pondering every aspect of the worrying developments in Ethiopia.
The sources also indicated that they wished donors would not have to move to the next step, as that could carry serious consequences. “Imagine what actually thinking about sanctions can do” said one source without explaining further. He also said that the process is still in its early stages and that the west is reluctant to press hard as further developments could have detrimental effects. However, he also stressed that the level of commitment should not be underestimated, as the several interviews and foreign ministry press releases have demonstrated recently. As an example, he recalled what U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr. Donald Yamamoto recently said in an interview – that he cared about Ethiopia and that he flies to Ethiopia quiet often. “This is big and dandy!” the source stressed.
Other western sources seemed to agree and said that in the mean time, the Ethiopian people should feel some comfort about these developments. Trying to appease the Ethiopian populace, western diplomats also said they are committed to putting out statements that give the impression that they are actually doing something about the crisis. In the mean time, they said they were seriously pondering every aspect of the worrying developments in Ethiopia.
2 comments:
This article would have been very funny had it not been an excellent reflection of the reality... god save us from the world's judges... liju kemagna abatu dagna is what we have going on...
Yagerlij,
I very much enjoyed your piece inasmuch as it left me with more questions than answers. One that has dogged me is that of economic sanctions against Ethiopia and how to differentiate between a government (whose policies we hate) and a people (that we love). I remember confronting this issue in college when we demonstrated (believe or not, and got arrested!) at Capitol Hill when we opposed the US government's failure to impose certain sanctions on the Apartheid regime. I remember being shocked when Mandela—still sitting in jail (and breaking ranks with the ANC)—urging the west not to impose economic sanctions and divestitures.
Do you think the reason western governments are thinking about thinking is because they’re stuck between a rock and hard place? I've heard all sorts of arguments on this issue and I hope your awesome blog will explore it one day. Thanks for the posting.
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