The US House of Representatives in Washington has passed a bill threatening to impose sanctions on Ethiopian officials denying them entry visas and stop military aid unless democratic reforms are made, BBC online reported Thursday.
The US representatives approved the Ethiopian Democracy and Accountability Act with unanimous approval. The legislation now passes to the Senate for approval and can be vetoed by the president.
– It is something that has been discussed ever since the killing of civilians, gunned down in the streets of Addis Ababa almost two years ago, a Democratic Congressman told the BBC.
– There was a feeling that Ethiopia, being an ally of the US, should have an opportunity to correct some of the wrongdoings, and that has not happened, he noted adding:
– Two years later people are still being imprisoned. There is still problems in the Ogaden region. People are having food kept away from them. That is why we finally said we need to move forward with it.
Ethiopia is such a strong ally of the US in the Horn of Africa, it is unlikely that President George Bushs administration will be sympathetic to the bill.
