ETHIOPIA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES RECONCILIATION AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001279 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KREL ET ER SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES RECONCILIATION AND DEVELOPMENT WITH PATRIARCH REF: ADDIS ABABA 00451 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a courtesy call with the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abuna Paulos, Ambassador discussed the importance of the upcoming Ethiopian millennium as a means to bring all Ethiopians together in the name of reconciliation. The Patriarch echoed this view, saying that the EOC plans its own religious summit at that time focused on peace and unity. As Abuna Paulos is a president of the World Council of Churches, he feels he can call on many religious leaders from around the world to take part. Ambassador and the Patriarch discussed several areas of potential cooperation in this regard, also focusing on the possibility of the Patriarch working with released CUD detainees. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) On April 23, Ambassador and Poloff (notetaker) paid a courtesy call to the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC),Abuna Paulos. Ambassador used the introductory meeting as an opportunity to discuss development plans for Ethiopia and as a mutual exchange of offers for support and guidance on Ethiopia's future -------------- -------------- DIASPORA KEY IN SUCCESSFUL MILLENNIUM CELEBRATION -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Abuna Paulos began by explaining to the Ambassador the EOC's plans for celebration of the Ethiopian millennium celebration. (NOTE: Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar, under which the current year is 1999. Their new year begins on September 12 in the Gregorian calendar. END NOTE) He said that with the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to visit Ethiopia around that time, and with many of them coming from the diaspora in the US and EU, it is an ideal time to work on Ethiopia's image and to help rebuild ties to Ethiopians living abroad. However, "Ethiopia needs a big brother with big shoulders," Abuna Paulos told the Ambassador, in an effort to solicit support for the many development projects scheduled in conjunction with the millennium, specifically the construction of a new museum to be built in the center of Addis Ababa. Ambassador informed the Patriarch that the USG is planning on supporting a number of initiatives and that large-scale projects will need coordination with other donors and substantial time to plan and implement. �00A; ¶4. (SBU) The Patriarch, who is a president on the World Council of Churches, informed Ambassador of his desire also to hold a religious summit at the time of the millennium, for which religious, governmental and non-governmental leaders from around the world would be invited to participate. The focus of the event would be to promote peace and reconciliation between faiths and among the Ethiopian population. In his vision of "building a bridge to peace," Abuna Paulos envisions this event to also reach out to Orthodox Church leaders in Eritrea and the US. The Patriarch is seeking funding from the USG to assist with the planned summit. -------------- ADDIS EOC KEEN TO PATCH THINGS UP WITH US EOC -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Asked about recent efforts by the EOC in Addis Ababa to mend ties with the EOC in the US (reftel),Abuna Paulos said that the four archbishops that he had dispatched to the US to meet with counterparts there had returned to Ethiopia, but had been unsuccessful in their trip. Abuna Paulos expressed regret of the divide that separates him and his "brothers" in the US and the rift that occurred when the EPRDF came to power which caused it. He said that he recently released a statement in the US to this effect, professing that no one had been forced out of Ethiopia as widely believed. "Many people blamed me for that," he said, but his only desire now, he says, is to bring the two churches together again. When asked whether he himself would visit the US again anytime soon, Abuna Paulos said that he would like to, but that some in the US (from the US EOC) may object. -------------- -------------- PATRIARCH OFFERS TO WORK WITH RELEASED CUD DETAINEES -------------- -------------- ADDIS ABAB 00001279 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) In light of other activities aimed at peace building and reconciliation, Ambassador asked the Patriarch whether he would be willing to focus his reconciliation efforts on the Coalition for Unity and Democracy detainees that have been released, and those that will hopefully be released in the future. Though the Patriarch claimed that he was ignorant of the political situation that these detainees find themselves in, he nevertheless offered his help and said he recognizes the need for Ethiopians to come together in the name of peace and unity. -------------- -------------- COMMENT: EOC SUPPORTS POST IN PEACE BUILDING EFFORTS -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In this very cordial meeting between Ambassador and the Patriarch Abuna Paulos, both parties agreed that as Ethiopia moves toward its highly publicized millennium celebration, the focus needs to be on reconciliation. These efforts should address differences between factions of the EOC, as well as religious and political differences among Ethiopians, both in the diaspora and at home. The Patriarch pledged his help in supporting Embassy efforts in this regard. Though the leadership of the EOC in Ethiopia is viewed suspiciously by many who consider it too close to the GoE, the church itself remains very powerful and may nevertheless be instrumental in bringing disparate groups together. YAMAMOTO