Rosa Anyangoposes near the ancestral home of President Obama in Nyangoma village in Kogelo, west of Kenya’s capital of Nairobi. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)
By Juliet Eilperin and David Nakamura July 21 at 10:01 AM
President Obama embarks on a trip to Africa this week that includes a controversial stop in Ethiopia, where the authoritarian government has come under sharp international criticism for its handling of political dissent.
The Ethiopia visit has raised hackles among human rights advocates who question the administration’s level of concern about human rights, as it seeks to advance new security and economic goals on a continent where good governance and democratic freedoms often do not top the priority list. But to others it reflects the evolution of America’s relationship with the continent, which now offers opportunities for the United States in a way it didn’t decades ago when it was primarily an aid recipient.
“The decision to go to Ethiopia greatly undermines the stated goals and commitments of this administration when it comes to support for human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Africa and beyond,” said Sarah Margon, Human Rights Watch’s Washington director. “It shows that it ranks priorities and shows that security and development often trump human rights concerns, which is a very short-sighted policy approach.”