Molly Catherine Phee, a career diplomat, is President Biden’s nominee to become his U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. (Credit USIP.org)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee conducted meetings in Addis Ababa this week that included dialogue with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Sudan. During the meeting, “Ahmed confirmed Ethiopia’s neutrality and commitment to a peaceful resolution in Sudan,” according to the State Department. The U.S. ambassador also met with the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations and the Government of Ethiopia to consult on regional and international efforts to help end the conflict in Sudan. Armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan began on 15 April resulting in more than 600 people dead and some 5,000 injured. Assistant Secretary Phee provided an update on talks in Jeddah to secure a short-term ceasefire that allows for unhindered humanitarian access, restoration of essential services, and other actions to meet the emergency needs of Sudanese civilians, the State Department said. But many wonder how in the world Ethiopian PM Ahmed can contribute to a peaceful resolution in Sudan when his own country has remained at war the past two years with hundreds of thousands killed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in March concluded that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, and Amhara forces committed war crimes during the conflict in northern Ethiopia. Many wonder why Blinken dispatched ambassador Phee to Addis Ababa to meet with Ethiopian PM Ahmed to talk peace.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, met with Molly Phee, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, May 15, 2023 at his office in Addis Ababa. The two sides held discussions on bilateral and regional issues of common concern. (Credit: twitter.com/mfaethiopia)
The Assistant Secretary solicited the advice and counsel of AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeheyu, UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Hanna Tetteh, and UN Special Representative to the Secretary General to the AU Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, according to the State Department.
“These discussions reviewed how countries and organizations could contribute to urgent efforts to end the fighting and return combatants to barracks. They agreed to support action by Sudanese civilians to resume the stalled political transition through an inclusive process that culminates in free and fair elections. They also agreed to reject external interference in Sudan which will only intensify and prolong the conflict and contribute to regional instability,” the State Department said in a statement.
Ambassador Phee “welcomed the support” of partners for the May 12 Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and the universal demand for the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to abide by their commitments under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
U.S. Suspends Operations At SUDAN Embassy Amid Deadly Violence
Last month, the U.S. temporarily suspended operations at its Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan amid ongoing deadly violence. The U.S. military successfully evacuated American government employees from the embassy.
Ambassador Phee Made Three Visits to Sudan – But No Peace
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariam al-Mahdi to show U.S. support for the Sudan civilian-led transitional government in Khartoum Nov. 15, 2021. (twitter.comusembassykrt)
In October 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed ambassador Phee, a career Foreign Service member, as President Biden’s top diplomat in Africa. Then in November 2021, Assistant Secretary of State Phee traveled on her first trip to Sudan in her new position to “show U.S. support” for the civilian-led transitional government in Khartoum. And in January 2022, Phee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa David Satterfield traveled to Sudan to meet with pro-democracy activists, women and youth groups, civil society, military leaders, and political figures. In June 2022, Assistant Secretary Phee last traveled to Sudan in support of the Sudanese-led process to resolve the crisis following the October 2021 military takeover. Despite Ambassador Phee’s three visits to Sudan, peace remained elusive in the troubled Northeast African nation.
Many are questioning the commitment of the U.S. to the Horn of Africa as two of its Envoys departed within a year while the region remains a hot-bed of political instability and military conflict.
Ethiopia has been embroiled in a long bloody conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created starvation for thousands of Ethiopians. Sudan, which borders Ethiopia, is also in chaos. Neighboring Somalia has been wracked by civil war since 1991, and terror organization Al-Shabab continues to conduct attacks in the country.
Sudan remains in political turmoil since a military coup derailed its transition to democracy after three decades of repressive rule by dictator Omar al-Bashir. Al-Bashir and his Islamist-backed government were removed in a popular uprising in April 2019.
