Kinijit for Unity and Democracy

KIC Washington update

URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED to secure co-sponsors for H.R.2003, The Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007. Representative Donald Payne introduced the bill so there is no need to contact his office. We urge you to contact Tom Lantos, chairman of the International Relations Committee, and ask him to move forward to markup H.R. 2003  in September.

We also urge that you contact members of the committee, asking that they support the bill. To get the names and telephone numbers of committee
members, go to http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/fullmem.htm Click on the name of a member of Congress and you will see how to contact them. You can also call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to a particular representative's office.

H.R. 2003 includes language condemning two incidents in which peaceful demonstrators were shot by government forces. It also includes a ban on travel to the United States by government officials and forces
involved in the shooting of demonstrators.

When you call to urge support of the bill, explain why it is important to you. Use your own words. You might want to mention your concern for human rights, democratic principles, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. You should also point out that the bill will assist the effort to make Ethiopia a free and prosperous country that can be a reliable
ally of the United States.

After House co-sponsors have been lined up, it will be necessary to find a Senate sponsor and co-sponsors. So our effort will need to continue in the Senate.

The Meles regime will try to convince Congress that legislation like H.R. 2003 could limit its ability to fight America’s war on terrorism. Members of Congress need to understand, however, that a regime that imprisons its most talented political and civic leaders, that steals elections and represses the news media, that  pursues economic policies that impoverish the nation, is creating conditions that breed more terrorism.

We had a good meeting with Senator Barak Obama's staff. We gave them detailed accounts of the present human rights situation in Ethiopia. We were pleased to see that the staff knows lot about the Ethiopian situation and were sympathetic to our goals.

In attendance at the meeting were Ethiopian Parliament members Dr. Bezabhe and  Major Admasu  as well as Mesfin Mekonen of the  the Kinijit International Council.   We requested  that Senator Obama introduce legislation in the Senate in support of H.R. 2003. We also asked that he contact the State Department to express concern about the delay in granting vistas to Engineer Hailu Shawel and other Kinijit leaders.We have also been in close contact with Donald Yamamoto, U.S. Ambassador to Eathiopia on the delayed visa issue.
In a related issue, Senator Obama's staff has informed us that they have talked with the State Department about the urgent need for visas to be issued for the scheduled visit to Washington of Kinijit chairman, Hailu Shawel and other leaders of Kinijit. The senator's staff said the State Department has given the visas a high priority.

We will keep you posted on developments.


Sen. Obama's staff urged us to remind the Ethiopian community that it is essential that we work together to encourage Congress to pass this crucial
legislation. When we speak together, clearly and strongly, our voice will be heard. Mesfin Mekonen, Kinijit International Council Foreign Relations