US gives 'strategically important' Ethiopia $97 million

[xiinfaniin]

Friday, September 21, 2007

 

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — The United States said Friday it is donating 97 million dollars (69 million euros) to Ethiopia in recognition of the Horn of Africa country's "strategic importance."

 

The money, channeled through USAID, is to fund agricultural and private sector development, health care, primary education and good governance, a statement said.

 

Ethiopia received US backing last year when it deployed troops to neighbouring Somalia to overthrow an Islamist movement accused of harbouring extremist elements.

 

USAID mission director Glenn Anders said: "The agreements ... fulfill and even exceed the commitments in our five-year strategic development plan ..."

 

Source: AFP, Sept 21, 2007

[xiinfaniin]

Now, that is not really much. It amounts to a mere pocket change given the sacrifices Ethiopia made for Bush’s global agenda. And with Bush less than 2 yrs to go out of office, and the effect of its invasion in Somalia seemingly coming back to haunt it, Melez of Ethiopia must be disappointed.

 

Remains to be seen how strategic Ethiopia will be seen by the next admin in the US w/house.

[Taleexi]

In my view, there is a parallelism between Iraq and Somali violence, of course Somalia being the smaller fish in this context, all I know is that this convenient marriage can’t be indefinite ..