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India On Media |
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| Politics
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| Barack Obama Challenges Key Ally |
| Barack Obama Challenges Key Ally Ethiopia on Democracy
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 27-July-2015
10:10:38 AM |
| US President Barack Obama delivered a blunt appraisal of Ethiopia's democracy deficit during a landmark visit Monday, but indicated it would not scuttle their close security and political relationship.
"There is still more work to do, and I think the prime minister is the first to admit there is still more to do," Obama said, standing next to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, whose party won 100 percent of seats in parliament two months ago.
"We are very mindful of Ethiopia's history," Obama added, after lauding the country's regional role in fighting Somalia's Shebab militants and peace efforts in war-torn South Sudan.
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Obama is on the first-ever trip by a US president to Africa's second-most populous nation, a key strategic ally of Washington but one also much criticised for its record on democracy and human rights. It is also the seat of the African Union.
Rights groups have warned that Obama's visit could add credibility to a government they accuse of suppressing democratic rights -- including the jailing of journalists and critics -- with anti-terrorism legislation said to be used to stifle peaceful dissent.
"There are certain principles we think have to be upheld," Obama added. "Nobody questions our need to engage with large countries where we may have differences on these issues. We don't advance or improve these issues by staying away."
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