Ethiopia protests US ambassador’s speech after he calls for release of political prisoners

Nairobi, Kenya — Ethiopia on Thursday complained about statements made by the US ambassador after he said the release of political prisoners could help the country engage in productive dialogue and that jailing critics will not solve the country’s problems.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ambassador Ervin Massinga’s speech on policy and human rights contained “allegations” and “unsolicited advice” and that it would work with the embassy to correct the “errors and inconsistencies” in his statement .

“The statement is ill-advised and contains uniformed claims. It is contrary to the historic and friendly relations between Ethiopia and the United States,” the ministry wrote.

Massinga had said in his speech that detaining critics would not solve Ethiopia’s outstanding issues and that “the political dialogue Ethiopians need could be furthered by releasing key figures.”

He urged the government and rebel groups to agree to dialogue and that “the country has much more to gain from peace than from the battlefield.”

Federal forces in Ethiopia have been engaged in fighting with several rebel groups in the regions and ethnically related insurgencies, which have resulted in deaths and displacement of people. Human rights groups have accused federal soldiers of rights abuses in regions such as Amhara, where rebel groups are based.

A prominent opposition figure was shot last month after being released from prison, and a state-appointed rights group has called for an investigation into his death.