U.S. Think Tank Commentary Questions Ambassador's Alignment With Trump on Ethiopia

A commentary published by the Middle East Forum, a U.S.-based policy organization, questions whether the American ambassador to Ethiopia is acting in line with President Donald Trump's foreign policy priorities.

The piece ran under the headline "Why Is the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Undermining Trump?" Addis Gazette was unable to review the full text, so the author's specific arguments, examples and evidence could not be independently examined. This report describes the publication and its context. It does not endorse or verify the claims suggested by the headline.

The source

The Middle East Forum is a Philadelphia-based think tank known for advocacy-oriented commentary on the Middle East and neighboring regions. Commentaries it publishes generally present the views of their individual authors. The headline frames the issue as a possible gap between the conduct of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa and the White House's agenda.

As of publication, Addis Gazette had not seen a public response to the commentary from the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa or the State Department.

A relationship under scrutiny

The commentary comes amid continuing debate in Washington over how the United States should engage with Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous country and a long-standing security and development partner. Several issues have shaped the relationship in recent years:

• The Tigray conflict and its aftermath. The 2020–2022 war in northern Ethiopia strained ties with Washington. The United States raised human rights concerns and, effective January 2022, removed Ethiopia from trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The November 2022 Pretoria agreement ended major hostilities, but implementation and accountability remain contested.
• The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The dispute among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the Nile dam has drawn U.S. attention under several administrations. President Trump has commented publicly on the dam in both of his terms, and his remarks have been closely followed in Addis Ababa and Cairo.
• Red Sea and regional security. Ethiopia's pursuit of sea access, including its January 2024 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, has added to tensions with Somalia and complicated Western diplomacy in the Horn of Africa.
• Aid reductions. Ethiopia has historically been among the largest recipients of U.S. humanitarian and development assistance. The 2025 cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs have significantly affected operations in the country.

Why it matters

Questions about whether an ambassador's public messaging or diplomatic emphasis reflects the president's views are not unusual when U.S. foreign policy shifts, particularly when diplomats appointed under a previous administration remain in post. Commentators in Washington have at times debated how strongly envoys in Africa should pursue human rights, governance and humanitarian priorities relative to security and transactional interests.

For Ethiopian policymakers, such debates can signal possible changes in Washington's approach to trade access, development financing, conflict mediation and regional security cooperation.

Addis Gazette will continue to follow developments in U.S.-Ethiopia relations and will report any official response to the commentary.

Source: Middle East Forum