Human rights, women's rights, social and climate justice; loves art & all things that make life worth living. Member of AEPAC.
Joined August 2014
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“The United States stands ready to deepen ties — but Ethiopia must first act as a stabilizing force that respects freedom and the rule of law.”
AEPAC Statement on Senior Advisor Boulos’s Visit to Ethiopia
The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) and its affiliated organizations welcome the remarks of U.S. Senior Advisor Boulos during his recent visit to Addis Ababa, where he reaffirmed the enduring U.S.–Ethiopia partnership and emphasized Ethiopia’s responsibility to anchor peace and stability in the Horn of Africa — a priority of President Trump.
The Amhara region remains engulfed in a war launched by the Ethiopian government in April 2023, while violence continues to grip Oromia, Afar, Tigray, Ogaden, and other areas. Political repression has led to the detention of parliamentarians, journalists, and activists without due process, according to several international and Ethiopian human rights organizations.
Among them is Christian Tadele, a sitting Member of Parliament, who, according to his family, is suffering from illness in detention and has been denied proper medical treatment. Taye Dendea, former State Minister of Peace, is also among those languishing in prison. His prolonged pre-trial detention and repeated bail denials — reported in 2024–2025 — raise serious concerns of arbitrary detention under international law (ICCPR Art. 9), consistent with Amnesty International’s findings of widespread arbitrary detentions during the same period.
Meanwhile, millions of children remain out of school in war-affected areas, while corruption, economic mismanagement, and diplomatic isolation have deepened national hardship.
For Ethiopia to be a credible partner in U.S.–Ethiopia development, these crises must be addressed. We urge U.S. leadership to:
-Affirm the importance of respecting fundamental freedoms and the rule of law;
-Press the Ethiopian government to immediately stop targeting civilians with drones and heavy weapons;
-Demand humane treatment, medical care, and due process for all politically motivated detainees, including parliamentarians and independent journalists;
-Support efforts to end wars and conflicts;
-Encourage inclusive, genuine dialogue to allow Ethiopians to determine their future.
Only by resolving these challenges can Ethiopia fulfill its potential as a reliable U.S. ally — anchoring regional peace and serving as a model for U.S.–Africa partnership, with American companies participating in fair, transparent, and transformative development.
The American-Ethiopian diaspora stands ready to contribute meaningfully to this vision. Just as diaspora communities played a vital role in rebuilding allied nations after WWII, Ethiopian Americans are prepared to advance U.S.–Ethiopia business ties, promote peace, and support economic transformation.
@WhiteHouse @StateDept @USEmbassyAddis,@US_SrAdvisorAF @UAEthio @UNOSAPG @VP @realDonaldTrump @TheIRD @StateDRL @AsstSecStateAF @richghazal @markdtooley @OrthodoxyNews @indefchristians @RepJohnJames @HouseGOP @RepSaraJacobs @YoungKimCA @RepJimBaird @RepMillsPress @RepGaramendi @IMFNews @JusticeOfficeUS @WorldBank @WorldBankAfrica @StateIRF @USCIRF @IrfSecretariat @Sean_ADFIntl @SenMarcoRubio @RubenGallego @ElissaSlotkin @AndyKimNJ @AdamSchiff @CEXAlsobrooks @CurtisUT,@RepGaramendi,@RepSaraJacobs, @RepJimBaird, @RepYoungKim, @RepMillsPress, @CongresswomanSC
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
Denver showed up BIG for Taste of Ethiopia!
Thousands came together at City Park to celebrate culture, unity & pride.
👏 Kudos to Nebiyu Asfaw & Team Denver for another incredible festival!
🔗 🔗
9news.com/video/life/style/c…
#TasteOfEthiopia #Denver
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
As Ethiopia embarks upon a new year, AEPAC and its affiliated diaspora organizations extend heartfelt wishes for a year marked by PEACE, DIGNITY, and renewal.
We pray for an Ethiopia where no civilian lives in fear of gunfire or drone strikes; where churches, mosques, and sacred institutions are preserved as sanctuaries of faith and unity; and where languages, traditions, and cultural expressions are celebrated as bonds of nationhood rather than exploited as instruments of division.
This new year must be a turning point—an opportunity for Ethiopians to draw upon their proud and ancient history, to cast off the destructive legacies of the past fifty years, and to build a future free from corruption, conflict, and manipulation. May this be the year Ethiopia reclaims its unity, strengthens its sovereignty, and renews its promise to its people.
Equally, let this new year be a moment when the Ethiopian American diaspora speaks with one voice and works collectively to strengthen U.S.–Ethiopia relations—advancing a pro-Ethiopia agenda rooted in business growth, peace, security, human rights, and the rule of law.
መልካም እንቁጣጣሽ
@WhiteHouse, @StateDept, @USEmbassyAddis, @UAEthio, @UNOSAPG, @VP, @realDonaldTrump, @TheIRD, @StateDRL, @AsstSecStateAF, @richghazal, @markdtooley, @OrthodoxyNews, @indefchristians, @RepJohnJames, @housegop, @Repsarajacobs, @YoungKimCA, @RepJimBaird, @RepMillsPress, @RepGaramendi, @IMFNews, @JusticeOfficeUS, @WorldBank, @WorldBankAfrica, @StateIRF, @USCIRF, @IrfSecretariat, @Sean_ADFIntl,@SenMarcoRubio, @RubenGallego, @ElissaSlotkin, @AndyKimNJ,@AdamSchiff, @CEXAlsobrooks,@CurtisUT,@RepGaramendi,@RepSaraJacobs, @RepJimBaird, @RepYoungKim, @RepMillsPress, @CongresswomanSC
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
It’s impossible to comprehend some tragedies. The only thing certain is that nothing is guaranteed in life. We like to believe that we can ensure the ends by controlling the means, through caution and good judgement, being good citizens, making the right choices. Then someone comes along, a cohabitant in our world who makes a different choice, who is damaged and without control or care, or a victim to impulsive rage or something wicked…it’s unknown the reason why. We can speculate and be angry, we can try to explain the unexplainable. But when it’s done, it’s done…it’s just chilling. And we feel that paralyzing sense of helplessness, a piercing reminder of our lack of control.
We turn to God and lament, pray and grieve, we want to understand.
Live now. Be good now. Be kind now. Repent now. Change your ways now. Love your neighbors now. Honor your parents now. Stop sinning now. Stop hate now. Start caring now, Forgive now. Do as the creator commands, now.
That is all I can make out of this entire mess.💔
Pray for the families🙏🏾
The so-called National Dialogue by Abiy Ahmed is a scam. We have been there before, with his call for the same and his ultimate and continual betrayal of the Eth people. Now, he is shaking in his boots, trying to save his Ethno-fascist regime from ultimate doom.
A Call for Genuine Dialogue
Ethiopia is facing one of the most profound crises in its modern history. Eighteen Ethiopian-American diaspora organizations reaffirm their conviction that only a transparent, independent, and inclusive dialogue process can meaningfully address the country's deeply rooted conflicts.
For further details, please read the attached article.
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aepact.org/joint-statement-o…
@WhiteHouse, @StateDept, @USEmbassyAddis, @UAEthio, @UNOSAPG, @VP, @realDonaldTrump, @TheIRD, @StateDRL, @AsstSecStateAF, @richghazal, @markdtooley, @OrthodoxyNews, @indefchristians, @RepJohnJames, @housegop, @Repsarajacobs, @YoungKimCA, @RepJimBaird, @RepMillsPress, @RepGaramendi, @IMFNews, @JusticeOfficeUS, @WorldBank, @WorldBankAfrica, @StateIRF, @USCIRF, @IrfSecretariat, @Sean_ADFIntl,@SenMarcoRubio, @RubenGallego, @ElissaSlotkin, @AndyKimNJ,@AdamSchiff, @CEXAlsobrooks,@CurtisUT,@RepGaramendi,@RepSaraJacobs, @RepJimBaird, @RepYoungKim, @RepMillsPress, @CongresswomanSC
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
The so-called Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, dispatched to North America by the Abiy regime, is nothing more than a political façade designed to mask the catastrophic failures of a government that has lost legitimacy inside Ethiopia while antagonizing every neighboring state. In Washington, its engagements have been limited to regime loyalists and cadres, and it is now preparing to extend its reach into Canada. This initiative must be firmly rejected by the Ethio-Canadian Network for Advocacy and Support, as well as by all other Ethiopian associations and civic groups across Canada.
No legitimacy can be accorded to a regime that has presided over the bloodiest chapter in Ethiopia’s modern history. Under Abiy’s rule, hundreds of thousands have perished, millions have been displaced, and entire communities, particularly the Amhara, have endured systematic persecution and targeted massacres. Monks have been murdered in monasteries, journalists imprisoned for speaking truth to power, doctors and teachers left to starve as salaries vanish amidst corruption, and basic institutions dismantled in the name of political expediency. Ethiopia today is not a state engaged in dialogue but a state consumed by impunity, repression, and decay.
True dialogue cannot be staged in hotel conference rooms abroad while the cries of the oppressed echo unanswered at home. Justice, accountability, and human dignity must be restored before any meaningful national conversation can begin. Until then, this Commission is a hollow instrument of propaganda and must be rejected wherever it seeks to gain legitimacy.
@ECNAS_CA @EcnasT @CBCNews @EphremKesis @EmishawEskedar @NeaminZeleke @Tz47387587
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
"Getiye Yalew does more than chronicle the facts in his stories; he offers insights and challenges the thinking of the state.... This kind of journalism summons the heart and provokes the mind to consider new ideas and approaches."
My latest article:
jeffpropulsion.substack.com/…
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
A special guest column! @WassyTesfa writes about her remarkable great-grandfather, the statesman Afe Negus Tilahun, who served under Lij Iyasu and endured with others detention in Italy's Asinara prison during the Fascist Occupation. Read about it here. 👇
jeffpropulsion.substack.com/…
Abiy's millions spent on digital media is doing its work. But the problem is they can not silence everyone all the time. We just have to persist, and we will prevail, continue to address this imbalance with the powers that be. Thank you @MesfinMtegenu
Ethiopia's Press Freedom Crisis and YouTube's Role thehill.com/opinion/internat…
The descendents of Ethiopian prisoners in Asinara during the Italian occupation attended 4 days of soul-searching memorial event in Asinara, welcomed by the Mayor and people, where an apology was issued.
unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/q…
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
NOW AVAILABLE
Watch the Full Recording: AEPAC Youth Virtual Conference 2025
“Youth at the Forefront: Navigating Ethiopia’s Present and Future”
Hosted by dynamic youth advocates Hana Mare-Maru and Alazar Brehanu, and featuring powerful contributions from media personality and patriot Metasebia Ketsela and acclaimed photojournalist Jemal Countess, this impactful conversation explores youth leadership, advocacy, and the vital role young Ethiopians play in shaping the nation's future.
💬 Insightful | 🔍 Thought-Provoking | 🎙 Empowering
📲 Watch now and be part of the change.
👇🔗
youtu.be/e-sSsR1Kl6I?si=v5NJ…
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
Google/YouTube Censorship of Ethiopian Media Is a Threat to Global Free Speech
Google and YouTube have recently terminated several independent Ethiopian news channels—including ESAN TV, Maede Zena, and EVN Media—without clear or transparent justification. These outlets are known for their critical coverage of Ethiopia’s authoritarian government. The removals are part of a broader pattern, with at least 14 diaspora news channels affiliated with the Amhara Media Network and Hello Ethiopia also targeted. This raises serious concerns about platform bias and complicity in state-sponsored censorship.
A Pattern of Suppression
Since its launch in 2024, ESAN TV and similar outlets have faced sustained efforts to silence them—from satellite disruptions to digital takedowns—intensifying after Prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s military campaign in the Amhara region. According to ESAN TV’s recent press release, powerful lobbyists have pressured platforms like YouTube to suppress dissenting voices, causing major operational and financial harm to independent journalism.
Call to Action
These takedowns are not isolated incidents. Reports from Freedom House, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and others document arrests, harassment, and censorship of journalists affiliated with YouTube-based outlets. Meanwhile, pro-government propaganda channels remain active, often spreading disinformation without consequence.
Global Implications
If YouTube is enabling authoritarian censorship—whether knowingly or not—it sets a dangerous precedent for free speech everywhere. While we welcome Congress’s initial inquiry, prompted by complaints from AEPAC and other advocacy groups, stronger oversight and accountability are urgently needed.
Freedom of speech is a universal right. Tech platforms must not become tools of repression.
🖇 👇🏻
esantv.net/esan-tv-cond/?fbc…
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Wassy Tesfa retweeted
Wassy Tesfa (@WassyTesfa) of AEPAC delivered a powerful and insightful contribution during the "Addressing the Genocide in Ethiopia" conference hosted by Save Ethiopia. Her remarks highlight the urgency of action and the need for global attention. Watch this important segment.
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
The shock therapy of Trump’s aid cuts and tariffs calls for an ‘Africa First’ response.
Please read the article for details.
🔗🔗👇
nam12.safelinks.protection.o…
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Wassy Tesfa retweeted
The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee, along with 14 other Ethiopian American organizations, has endorsed the letter to Rev. Graham.
According to multiple media reports, his visit to Ethiopia follows a series of civilian massacres, including the killing of over 40 people in Gojjam just three days before his scheduled arrival. Ethiopian government forces have reportedly made it routine to randomly shoot and kill women, children, and the elderly—acts that appear to be retaliatory when they fail to maintain control in the areas they are assigned to secure.
The letter urges Rev. Graham to help end these killings and restore peace to the Ethiopian people, who have suffered enough.
Read the letter for more details.
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aepact.org/the-aepac-along-w…
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AEPAC always at the forefront of making the case for Ethiopia
The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) was honored to be among the invited guests at today’s swearing-in watch party for U.S. Senators. We extend our warmest congratulations to Senators Andy Kim and all the newly sworn-in Senators and wish them every success as they embark on their new term in the U.S. Congress.
@AndyKimNJ
AEPAC at the forefront always making the case for Ethiopia
The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) was honored to be among the invited guests at today’s swearing-in watch party for U.S. Senators. We extend our warmest congratulations to Senators Andy Kim and all the newly sworn-in Senators and wish them every success as they embark on their new term in the U.S. Congress.
@AndyKimNJ
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) congratulates President-elect @realDonaldTrump and Vice President-elect @JDVance on this momentous occasion. As the Founding Fathers envisioned, democracy is the foundation of our nation—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This historic election reaffirms America’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power, a cornerstone of our republic and an enduring example to the world.
In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “We are all republicans, we are all federalists.” May this new chapter unite us as we work together to build a brighter future for all Americans. Our best wishes to you both in your service to our country
#USAElections2024
Wassy Tesfa retweeted
Ethiopia’s drone massacre demand that US and World pay attention
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thehill.com/opinion/4962268-…
@TC_AddisAbabaBe @WhiteHouse @StateDept @USEmbassyAddis @UAEthio @UNOSAPG @VP @realDonaldTrump @TheIRD @StateDRL @AsstSecStateAF @richghazal @markdtooley @OrthodoxyNews @MikeHammerUSA @indefchristians @RepJohnJames @housegop @Repsarajacobs @YoungKimCA @RepJimBaird @CongressmanKean @RepMillsPress @RepGaramendi @jakejsullivan @IMFNews @SecBlinken @JusticeOfficeUS @WorldBank @WorldBankAfrica @StateIRF @USCIRF @IrfSecretariat @Sean_ADFIntl @TheHillOpinion @repJasonCrow @UK_FoRBEnvoy @HellenicLeaders @PersecutedSave @ProvMagazine @RepJimmyPanetta @SenatorCasey @SenatorCooney @JohnFetterman
.. Ethiopia is ruled by the deranged @AbiyAhmedAli who is permpetrating crimes against humanity on the Ethiopia people #StopAmharaGenocide
@sydneykamlager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AEPAC Condemns International Indifference to Atrocities in Ethiopia
Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Civilians from Ongoing Violence
October 22, 2024 – Washington, D.C. – The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) expresses deep alarm over the international community's indifference—particularly by the United States, @UN , and @_AfricanUnion —toward the ongoing atrocities committed by the Ethiopian Government against civilians. The government use of drones and heavy weaponry has specifically targeted ethnic Amhara civilians, resulting in widespread death, destruction, and trauma.
Numerous media reports and human rights organizations have documented escalating violence and civilian suffering in Ethiopia, including:
Assault on Amhara Civilians:
Government forces have intensified attacks on ethnic Amhara communities, systematically destroying lives and property.
Escalating Violence:
Over 220 civilians were killed in 56 drone strikes over the past week, affecting towns such as Finote Selam, Metema, and Dembecha. Victims of these strikes include women and children, such as those killed in recent drone attacks in Astrio and Dega Damot.
Civilian Casualties and Trauma:
In one particularly tragic case, Asbera Mohamednur was shot and killed by government soldiers in Shoa Asager Woreda, with her two-year-old child beside her—traumatized, but alive. This incident is part of a broader pattern of retaliation against civilians whenever government forces faces resistance from the Amhara Fano fighters.
Systematic Targeting of Ethnic Amharas: Eyewitnesses, along with organizations like Human Rights Watch, describe a deliberate campaign of ethnic targeting, with drones and heavy weaponry destroying homes, farms, and schools.
Human Rights Violations:
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has documented widespread extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and mass imprisonments, raising the alarm over the worsening situation in the Amhara region of Ethiopia .
Despite these grave violations, the international community has remained largely silent. Amnesty International has condemned this inaction, emphasizing that millions of Ethiopians are being denied justice as atrocities continue unabated.
AEPAC calls for immediate action from the U.S,@UN and @_AfricanUnion . Human Rights Watch has already urged for meaningful accountability to prevent further cycles of violence and impunity. Without urgent intervention, civilians will continue to pay the ultimate price for a conflict they did not choose.
The incoming U.S. administration, along with the UN's Office on Genocide Prevention, must act swiftly to dispatch resources and prevent a looming humanitarian catastrophe. AEPAC urges all parties to engage constructively to halt the violence and protect innocent civilians.
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eastafricanreview.com/2024/1…
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eastafricanreview.com/2024/1…
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