PRIME MINISTER MELES PRESSES ON HIGH LEVEL SENIOR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000797

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ET
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER MELES PRESSES ON HIGH LEVEL SENIOR
MEETINGS AS CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH OF BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: A. ADDIS 578

B. ADDIS 459

C. ADDIS 594 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (S/NF) After a brief meeting with Senator Inhofe and his
delegation on April 7 (septel),Prime Minister Meles took
Ambassador to the side and privately raised three issues: 1)
the need to "improve" the State Department Human Rights
Report (HRR),which he felt was filled with errors; 2)
allegations that the U.S. Embassy leaked Ethiopia's draft
counterterrorism law to Human Rights Watch (HRW); and 3) the
need for senior-level bilateral meetings to resolve
misunderstandings and enhance U.S.-Ethiopia relations. For
his part, the Ambassador again raised U.S. objections to the
Ethiopian Government's (GoE) re-arrest and pardon revocation
of opposition leader Birtukan Midekssa. Meles replied
emphatically that Birtukan's case is a criminal justice case
that GoE leadership cannot get involved in. End Summary.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
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2. (S/NF) Meles requested that the U.S. Embassy discuss with
the Foreign Ministry any and all allegations of human rights
abuses throughout the year -- and certainly prior to the
issuance of the annual HRR -- to ensure accuracy and, if
there are problems, to allow the government to investigate
and correct such abuses. Meles argued that much of the HRR
is inaccurate with the United States covering its own failure
to credibly investigate allegations by couching reports in
language such as "alleged," "it appears that," "based on
unverified reports." "The HRR hurts relations," the Prime
Minister said, and he asked for the Embassy and MFA to go
over this year's HR report and to hear the MFA's analysis of
the report. Meles concluded that the vast majority of the
HRR is misleading, inaccurate and draws the wrong
conclusions. The Ambassador noted that the U.S. does not
review the HRR with host governments prior to its issuance
and normally does not discuss the content of the report, even
as it is developed during the year, with the host nation. We
can begin to consult the MFA on cases of concern and will
review issues with the MFA.

THE DRAFT COUNTERTERRORISM LAW
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3. (S/NF) The Prime Minister was concerned over the draft
counterterrorism law being leaked to Human Rights Watch,
which drafted a scathing analysis of the draft law. The
Prime Minister said it was a draft and still under debate.
He said his officials told him that only the U.S. and U.K.
were provided copies of the draft law and it was believed
that the U.S. leaked the report to HRW. The Ambassador said
he would investigate and get back to the Prime Minister, but
assured that any information passed to the U.S. in confidence
would be kept in confidence. (Note: We did share the text of
the draft law with Washington agencies as well as with some
other embassies in Ethiopia. End Note.)

SENIOR BILATERAL MEETINGS
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4. (S/NF) The Prime Minister again requested senior level
bilateral meetings to resolve misunderstandings and promote
as well as improve bilateral relations (Refs A and B). Meles
said he felt there was far too much anxiety on the Ethiopian
side on the state of relations and direction of relations,
and noted that bilateral relations were facing severe
challenges which must be met, otherwise relations could sour
and become contentious.

BIRTUKAN
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5. (S/NF) The Ambassador raised the case of jailed opposition
leader Birtukan Midekssa (Ref C) with the Prime Minister,
repeating Washington's objection to her re-arrest and pardon
revocation. Meles replied that Birtukan's is a criminal

ADDIS ABAB 00000797 002 OF 002


justice case and that it is a legal issue which he and his
government cannot and will not get involved in. It is now
with the justice system and it is the system which will
determine her legal fate and treatment. He added that he
will not, and cannot, release Birtukan yet again. Her
release in July 2007 was her opportunity to start a new life.
As he told Senator Inhofe earlier, Birtukan decided to
politicize her pardon in 2007. Meles cut off discussion of
the matter before the Ambassador could 1) request her release
from solitary confinement, 2) protest plans to move her from
Kaliti prison near the capital to Ziway prison three hours
south of Addis, or 3) request USG or ICRC access to assess
her condition.

COMMENT
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6. (S/NF) Post is ready and willing to review the 2008 Human
Rights Report with the Foreign Ministry as well as to relay
specific and credibly allegations of human rights abuses with
the MFA throughout the year as long as doing so does not pose
further risk to victims. While we have no intention of
pre-vetting future HRRs with the GoE prior to their release,
raising specific cases could give the GoE the opportunity to
show if/how seriously it investigates such claims and holds
individuals accountable. While we do raise human rights
issues, such as alleged abuses in the volatile Ogaden region,
with the leadership regularly, this proposed approach would
be more formalized and allow us to raise cases at a greater
level of specificity. Our openness to such consultations
would also allow us to put more pressure on the GoE to allow
our human rights outreach visits throughout the country to go
unimpeded.


7. (S/NF) Meles' increasingly aggressive responses to pro
forma USG actions (such as the HRR, language in the 2007
appropriations bill, etc.) in recent months almost certainly
stems from GoE anxiety over how the Obama Administration may
engage Ethiopia. At the same time, the Prime Minister's
obstinacy on cases like Birtukan's, the CSO law, mythic
economic growth, and Ethiopia's human rights practices -- to
name but a few -- genuinely reflect the GoE's entrenchment in
the country's current trajectory which is increasingly at
odds with U.S. interests and values in both the political and
economic realms. As such, we continue to advocate for senior
level bilateral meetings as soon as the AF Assistant
Secretary is in place. They make sense and would help ease
Ethiopia's anxieties and underscore our concerns as well as
reinforce our support for the relationship. End Comment.
YAMAMOTO