- Meles - "I have not heard of such idiocy. But if it has occurred, it proves the idiocy of the person in Geneva"
(VOA) Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi over the weekend rejected U.S. criticism of several of his government's policies and laws, but described the country's relationship with Washington as "solid." Mr. Meles took particular exception to a U.S. diplomat's comments about Ethiopia's ethnic policies.
The Ethiopian leader reacted sharply to comments made by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Douglas Griffiths.
Speaking at a council meeting last week, Ambassador Griffiths questioned Ethiopia's contention that there is a fair representation of nationalities in government institutions. He said independent observers note that most senior government positions are represented by one ethnicity. The dominant role of ethnic Tigrayans in the government, especially in the military, has often been a contentious political issue in Ethiopia. Tigrayans make up about six percent of the population.
But Prime Minister Meles flatly rejected Ambassador Griffiths' assertions. "I have not heard of such idiocy. But if it has occurred, it proves the idiocy of the person in Geneva," he said.
Speaking to reporters before traveling to the climate conference in Copenhagen, Mr. Meles also dismissed a U.S. critique of Ethiopia's restrictions on human rights and press freedom. The U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa last week took the unusual step of urging Ethiopia to review a recently passed law restricting the activities of non-governmental organizations receiving foreign funding. The law goes into effect next month. of The Center for International Human Rights at Chicago's Northwestern University issued a report last month saying the measure effectively silences human rights defenders and advocates of democratic governance. The center described the Charities and Societies Proclamation, or CSO, as "the most restrictive of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa" and compared it to similarly repressive laws in Zimbabwe and Russia.
