Abiy to visit Ethiopians in the United States on 28-29 July

Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed will travel to the United States at the end of this month, where he will engage members of the diaspora, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry explained that Abiy’s visit is aimed at boosting the involvement of all Ethiopian Diaspora living in the US in the ongoing reforms, development, and democratisation in their country of birth.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Afework Kassu received members of the Ethiopian Diaspora community on Wednesday (July 04, 2018), and discussions primarily focused on ways of further enhancing the Diaspora engagement in Ethiopia’s development endeavors. pic.twitter.com/KESJbeH5ML

— MFA Ethiopia?? (@mfaethiopia) July 4, 2018

As part of ongoing reforms, cabinet recently approved the Amnesty Law that grants amnesty for individuals and groups, either under investigation or convicted on treason, crimes against the constitutional order and armed struggle.

Reformist Abiy

Abiy has championed several economic, political and diplomatic reforms including the liberalisation of the economy, release of political prisoners and expressing willingness to end a bitter border disbute with Eritrea that has kept the two countries at loggerheads for over two decades.

The initiative which is to be approved by parliament this week is part of efforts to engage with Ethiopians that fled the country and have been living in exile for fear of political persecution by the previous administration.

Abiy, who took office in April this year, has called on all opposition groups to return home and engage in peaceful struggles, pledging to work with all to unite and transform the country.

Several prominent figures including former senior Derg official Ambassador Dr Kassa Kebede, journalist and Oromo activist Mohammed Ademo, leaders of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF) have heeded the call and returned to Ethiopia after several years of exile.

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The US trip which is to be held under the theme ‘demolishing the wall, let‘s build the bridge’ will have meetings in Washington, DC on July 28 and Los Angeles on July 29, 2018.

The Ministry invited all Ethiopians to participate in the meeting, regardless of their political ideology, religion, and ethnic background.