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From: awetnayu@hotmail.com
Date: Thu Jan 27 2011 - 21:20:59 EST
US Ambassador in Eritrea
Amanuel Biedemariam
How does the US State Department evaluate the performance of US ambassadors around the world? What criterion does the US use to evaluate US ambassadors in Eritrea and elsewhere? Asking these questions would have yielded incomplete answers prior to November 28, 2010. But thanks to recent leaks, the international community is able to get a glimpse into the mindset, methodologies and how US diplomats operate. But why is it significant? Ironically, it is of paramount importance to understand the role American diplomats play in formulating shaping and cementing US foreign policies that have the potential to profoundly impact the lives of millions around the world.
According to Merriam-Webster and other major dictionaries, Diplomacy is: 1) the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations 2) the skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility. Using this basic understanding of the meaning of diplomacy; we can then ask, what did the US seek to achieve through its embassy in Asmara, Eritrea? What did it achieve? To address that, we must yet ask another set of questions. That is, what are US interests in Eritrea and how could it best be achieved?
According to the US State Department, “U.S. interests in Eritrea include encouraging Eritrea to contribute to regional stability, consolidating the peace with Ethiopia and Djibouti, encouraging progress toward establishing a democratic political culture, supporting Eritrean efforts to become constructively involved in solving regional problems, assisting Eritrea in dealing with its humanitarian and development needs, and promoting economic reform.”
A break down of the illustrious statements above, evaluation of the actions and statements of the US Embassy in Asmara and a glance at the history of US Eritrea relations, provide us with a snapshot and trends. For clarity I will break every sentence of the statement and compare it to how Ambassador Robert K. McMullen acted and reported as US representative in Eritrea.
A) Encourage Eritrea to contribute to regional stability.
The reality is Eritrea’s national interests are only served by regional peace and stability. To the contrary the US is encouraging, funding, and supporting the tyrannical Meles Zenawi’s regime that is raking havoc in the region. At the behest of the US, Meles invaded a sovereign nation of Somalia in 2006. The US is still trying to screw-in and impose a government against the will of the people. Thousands have died with millions displaced and leaving a legacy that will impact generations of Somalis. This is still ongoing. AMISOM is primarily composed of Ugandan and Burundian troops that are mowing civilian populations in the name of peace-keeping and stability achieving neither. If allowed, the only country that could significantly give stability and peace a chance in the region is Eritrea because Eritrea is the only credible and trusted ally of the people in the region.
What did Ambassador McMullen do? He literally failed to establish any relations with the leaders of Eritrea. According to the leaked cables when Eritrean leaders tried, he put up a wall and failed to understand the nature, temperament and culture of the Eritrean people. Instead he belittled the hospitality he received and became petty by making statements unbecoming of a diplomat. That means he never had any meaningful exchange about “Encouraging Eritrea to contribute to regional stability.”
B) Consolidate the peace with Ethiopia and Djibouti.
If the US wants Eritrea to have a better relation with Ethiopia, all it needed to do was to urge Meles to demarcate the borders based on the final and binding agreement their client state signed from the outset. Instead the US tried to nullify the treaty using many subversive methods and failed. However, the US exposed its dubious double standard when it used fabricated border issue with Djibouti to partly justify the illegal sanction the US imposed on the people of Eritrea. The reality is the people of Eritrea have no problem relating to the brotherly people of Djibouti or Ethiopia. They are people destined to live together forever.
What did Ambassador McMullen do to affect that? Nothing. According to the leaked summary report, Ambassador McMullen stated, “Eritrea’s fundamental interest in re-engaging with the United States is to promote a “balanced” U.S. approach to its border dispute with Ethiopia.” And further noted, “While we have delivered an unambiguously stark message on counterterrorism, we are uncertain how this will factor into Isaias’ opaque calculations.” In other words the US was not interested to address Eritrea’s national interest to demarcate the border and to encourage restoration of the natural relations between the two peoples. In the three years he spent in the region there are reports of his travels in the region but there were no signs of any positive developments in this regard.
C) Encouraging progress toward establishing a democratic political culture.
What did Ambassador McMullen do? He developed distaste for Eritrea calling it “draconian.” Instead of inspiring hope into the people of Eritrea by his presence, Ambassador McMullen became embodiment of arrogance and basically alienated himself from the society. He resorted to tabloid reporting of what Eritrea is and isn’t providing misleading report about Eritrea to The State Department thus the US. This is a quote from the summary of his report:
“Is the country “on the brink of disaster?” as posited by Eritrea’s first cousins across the border in Tigray, Ethiopia (ref)? Party leaders tell us their Leninist “war economy” will be reversed, while Asmara is abuzz with reports of multiple cabinet-level changes. However, tinkering at the margins of governance will count for naught as long as the Isaias regime remains a one-man band. Gold mining will not provide the anticipated economic panacea. Although the regime is one bullet away from implosion…”
This is hardly a statement of good will. Furthermore, where did US interference help establish democracy anywhere? Can we take Tunisia, Ethiopia or Egypt as a model? Hardly. His aim was to paint the darkest pictures for justification of punitive measures.
D) Supporting Eritrean efforts to become constructively involved in solving regional problems.
The US over the last 11 years got heavily involved in a demonizing-campaign of Eritrea by siding with their client state Ethiopia and, in the process completely ignored the idea that Eritrea can be a viable ally. US diplomacy reflected that. As the cable from Uganda detailed; punitive options for Eritrea were discussed by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Jendayi Frazer who was Ambassador McMullen’s boss at the time. It also showed how the US manipulated Eritrea’s genuine efforts to reconstitute Somalia without foreign interference. In addition, Dr. Frazer deliberately tried to alienate Eritrea from engaging in any of the issues related to the region. The Djibouti agreement on the Somali issue was reached in the absence of Eritrea. The examples are aplenty to detail.
E) Assisting Eritrea in dealing with its humanitarian and development needs, and promoting economic reform.
Ambassador McMullen’s assessment of Eritrea’s future economic plans clearly lacked research and depth. The Ambassador completely misread everything about the people and their hopeful aspirations to better their lives and bring it on a par with the developed world. He misrepresented their patience, dedication, doggedness, and willingness to do what it takes to position them to the next-higher step. He failed to take the tiniest of steps in order to investigate what is taking place in the rest of Eritrea outside the city of Asmara. In the process he failed to see where development was taking place, the government’s developmental strategies and status. The Ambassador truly failed to make any attempt to bridge the communication gap and failed to attempt to take steps to develop trust and building steps between the two governments. In other words he failed to establish a foundation for any conversation.
When the Eritrean officials attempted to talk to him he misunderstood their gestures and culture. He denigrated those who attempted to talk to him and met them with a judgmental attitude. “Mafia” was the term he used in describing some Eritrean dignitaries that had lived and studied in the US when they try to approach him to address any outstanding issues that may need to be resolved. How is it possible for the Ambassador to find out anything about what Eritrea’s economic needs and plans are when he espoused such a low opinion of the leaders and, lacked understandings of their cultures. That is evident throughout his entire report. He even made fun of one of the traditional drinks of the nation.
Moreover, it is glaringly obvious-now, Ambassador McMullen failed to notice or understand what was going on in Eritrea. According to major international organizations, Eritrea is projected to be the fastest growing economy in 2011. How did that happen? The Ambassador completely undermined and underestimated the people and leaders of Eritrea. In addition, and sadly, instead of trying to help establish a connection and cultural bridges between the American and Eritrean people, he became a barrier between the two. Ambassador McMullen tried to suppress Americans from visiting Eritrea and failed to try any cultural exchange programs between the two peoples.
The Key
This demonstrates how important of a role US diplomats play. US diplomats around the world are deemed credible public servants representing US interests abroad. There is a culture of taking what they report on its face-value. However, and this is when it gets serious, when those congressional representatives and others that receive the information are not as invested in the political complications and intricacies and, when their constituencies are not interested about these faraway places; the scrutiny on the information the foreign service officers provide is minimal. As a result, and absent of other credible alternative information sources; what US diplomats report becomes the word of God. It becomes the basis for the decisions and policies US lawmakers support or renege.
Moreover, this approach takes a dangerous twist when the administration in office is hell bent forwarding a certain agenda. It is a public record that the Bush Administration fabricated evidence to invade Iraq. Therefore, when the information gathered and submitted by a diplomat the Bush Administration appointed; it becomes critical. The ramifications of the decisions US Congress supported have been detrimental to the people in the region. This process is complicated further because the information channeled through these embassies is classified and secret. The average American and the nations that the report is about having no access to challenge the reports provide a blank check.
Furthermore, and unfortunately, the US media is not interested to inform Americans in a balanced fashion. To drive this point-home; I was watching CNN pre-State of The Union and as the host introduced the dignitaries, he mentioned the Dean of Diplomatic Corps from Djibouti. The reaction of the panel was shocking. They burst with laughter and asked Djibouti…and continued on laughing. Unbeknownst to them, Djibouti is the new Panama Canal of Africa housing over 2000 US troops.
Conclusion
Ambassador Robert K. McMullen was not the average diplomat that was sent to fulfill the traditional diplomatic mission based on the literal definition of diplomacy. He was sent to paint a grim picture of a nation, people, their environment, their lives traditions, way of life, economy, military and all aspects of the societies. In the three years he spent in Eritrea, he failed to see anything positive about the people or the government. He completed what his boss, Dr. Frazer sent him to do, report back to the US the worst possible picture of Eritrea and he did.
In a recent blog by Alex Mike, a story about Tollak & Henri in Eritrea teachers in Music Exchange program between Minerva Academie voor Popcultuur and Asmara Music School said this about his trip to Eritrea:
“When I contacted the American embassy in Eritrea a few months prior to inform them about my plans to come, they alerted me to the fact that A) 83% of Americans who applied for visas to travel to Eritrea in 2009 were rejected, and that B) there was currently a travel advisory for Americans not to travel there because of the World cup bombings in Uganda over the summer.” And further noted, “The fact that you are in a place that is noted for it’s lack of political and personal freedoms and yet seeing how safe Asmara is as a city, where you can walk late at night anywhere and not worry at all about being in danger. I felt much more unsafe walking around Santa Monica at night.”
Ambassador McMullen was not a bridge; he was a barrier between Eritrea and Americans. This is the reason why Wikileaks was a blessing to the people of the world. It clearly showed what the world was up against. This is also why it is extremely crucial for Eritreans to be ambassadors and representatives of their people in Eritrea and encourage people to make trips and urge them to do all they can to learn about Eritrea. It will be a pleasant surprise for them. This is also a good reason why all Eritreans must educate their representatives and urge them to take trips and establish connection with Eritrea because Eritreans are the best allies the US can have. It is high time that people like Mr. McMullen be held to account.
Awetnayu@hotmail.com
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