By Mesay Berhanu

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Members of Ethiopia’s opposition parties stated that in a recent meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer they were told not to rely on the United States to change the current ruling government.
Opposition leaders explained the existing situation in Ethiopia to the American diplomatic mission this past weekend, and raised their concerns about the US response to the government’s handling of the situation.
According to opposition members, Ms. Frazer said if people “expect the United States to remove the government, they are wrong” to do so.
What the US government will do, she told the meeting participants, is have a sustained discussion with the Ethiopian government to improve the situation.
Apart from “continued dialogue,” there could be no other way to deal with the existing problems in the country, Frazer said.
One of the participants, Dr Merera Gudina of the Oromo National Congress (ONC), told SSI that they raised the issue of the human rights situation in the nation, the case of the detained opposition leaders and the critical problems in the Oromia region.
Dr. Merera also said that they had discussions about the possibilities of resuming political dialogue that was interrupted about three months ago.
Dr. Beyene Petros of the United Ethiopian Democratic Front (UEDF), who also attended the discussion, said that the opposition leaders aired their concerns about the US approach towards the incumbent, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
In response to this criticism the Assistant Secretary of State reportedly said that it was “diplomacy.”
Frazer also expressed United States’ interest in promoting democracy in Ethiopia. Hence, she said that the US government will closely follow the developments in Ethiopia, and promised that she would discuss with the Ethiopian government the points raised in the discussion.
In the mean time, Dr Beyene pointed out that the government and the oppositions are trying to sort out agenda items so as to resume their dialogue.
Frazer also met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, but the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa declined to comment on the outcome of the meeting.