ADVOCACY GROUP  FOR  VOICE  OF  ETHIOPIAWINET

P.O. BOX  91535
Washington, DC  20090
202-431-2022



June 7, 2004

Mr. Kenneth Y. Tomlinso, Chairman
Broadcasting Board of Governors of the Voice of
America
330 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20237



Re:  The Horn of Africa Section of VOA





We are community based Ethiopians,
Ethiopian-Americans, and supporters of
voice of Ethiopiawinet who advocate closer relations
between the people of Ethiopia and United States. We are writing to express our deep concern and disappointment about the news programming and reporting practices at the Horn of Africa Section of the Voice of America.   The Section's programs and broadcasts are divisive and biased, encourage violence and ethnic strife, promote political and social instability, and lead to serious civil conflict that could unleash a wave of terrorism in the region, and undermine the
strategic interests of the United States and the
global war on terrorism.

Article One of VOA's Charter states that the
institution be "a reliable and authoritative source of news that is accurate, objective, and comprehensive."  Since the September 11, 2001,
broadcast languages are to focus as a priority on the provision of accurate and objective news and information in support of the war on terrorism.  The Horn of Africa's broadcasts defeat these noble objectives by overemphasizing inter-ethnic
conflicts and hatred, encouraging political unrest, and conducting biased interviews with politically disgruntled groups.  Such
unprofessional acts by the purported journalists at both headquarters and at locations in Ethiopia could lead to growing resentment in the region against the United States due to perceived association of VOA broadcasts with US foreign policy objectives.  We do not like to see that happen particularly because we know the people of the United States are God fearing and noble, and have welcomed us with open arms and encouraged and helped us to thrive in our adopted
country.

Ethiopia is a country of diverse-ethnic and religious
people, and it had taken many years of sacrifices to build this nation.
Unfortunately, the current government has politicized ethnicity as the
basis of governance and a key article of the constitution has given the right to any ethnic group to seek independence from the federation. Some divisive groups are demanding independence by waging terrorism against other ethnic groups who had lived in their midst for thousands of years.  The Horn of Africa Section is adding
fuel to the fire by advancing the causes of such groups by repeated
broadcasts of their unjustified causes, and by giving air time to the
purported leaders to wage their propaganda wars and to entice potential
recruits and supporters. By such acts, the staff is encouraging perpetual state of crisis rather than assisting humanitarian
efforts thereby exacerbating the region's economic, social, and
political problems.

A targeted key beneficiary of VOA's broadcast has been the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a terrorist group with connections to
other well-known international terrorists' network operating in the
Horn of Africa.  In a classical style of guerrilla movements, OLF uses
multi-pronged approaches to wage its wars, such as sabotaging businesses and institutions, terrorizing people, savagely slaughtering innocent citizens like the recent case in Iraq, creating havoc in rural areas, inciting public disturbances, and many other similar overt and covert acts.  The Horn of Africa Section appears to have become a vehicle for such terrorist groups, as well as to other lesser
known "liberation movements" which are supported by a regime in Eritrea
which considers destabilization of its neighbors as a key foreign policy objective. If unchecked, these trends could lead to
further regional disasters through the creation of another heaven and
breeding ground for international terrorists.

Ethiopia can not afford to spend limited resources fighting against
terrorists who disguise themselves as "liberation fronts".   The diversion of resources to fight against terrorists would deepen
poverty and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. We would like to see our people prosper, work hard, educate their children, and live peaceful lives without fear of terror by any one. The Horn of Africa Section should focus on how best to achieve
those goals rather than fanning terrorism by design or oversight. It should desist from using the good name of the United States
as cover, and the people of the United States as financiers of groups
who terrorize our people. We are certain the people of the United
States, whose taxes finance the VOA, would not like to see that happen.

The VOA Horn of Africa Section has turned from being a
show case for the entire institution shortly after its establishment
some twenty years ago, to being near the bottom deserving of serious
consideration for closure just a few years back.  Recent audience surveys of the region indicate significant drop in the number of listeners due mainly to loss of credibility, while air
time for broadcasts have been increased by 50% contrary to the deteriorating performance of the Section.  There could be many
explanations for the deteriorating trend:

(a)There appear to be significant leadership
and management problems at the Section that have not been rectified by the shakeup recently of the previous management as part of a review for possible closure. The entrenched conflicts of interest that contributed to biased and politicized reporting, infighting among staff, and the poisoned atmosphere in the Section continue unabated.  The new management does not seem to have improved the Section's performance but rather has worsened it.  Mr. Negussie Mengesha, who was once demoted from the East Africa Service for being incompetent, is now leading
the program for the African Division and must be accountable for the
deteriorating trend.  Mrs. Jennifer Parmelle, a former
Washington Post Reporter and the current Chief of Horn of Africa Service, spouse of a person of Eritrean origin where the government has a policy of destabilizing Ethiopia, had a track record of biased reporting against Ethiopia.  That background is clearly reflected in the Section's problematic programs and
broadcast; and
(b)Many of the staff have political axe to grind. They are well
known members of notorious groups of extremists who killed or caused the slaughter of thousands of young Ethiopians, but saved
themselves by running to live in the comforts of North America, Europe, and Oceania, whose free market economies and democratic modes of governance they despised.  They entered the US under false pretexts hiding their extremist and communist past, and managed to infiltrate federal institutions like the VOA.  And they still aspire to rule the country, and are using others to take power at any cost. They supported Somalia's invasion of Ethiopia in the 1970s because
they hoped the invaders would help them ascend to
power, and they supported Eritrea's invasion of Ethiopia in late 1990s for the same reason.  And now they are supporting various "liberation fronts," particularly OLF, in the hope they would be the next rulers with unlimited access to the nation's treasury.

We strongly demand the following remedies:

(a)Investigate and replace the current Horn of Africa Service Chief, Jennifer Parmelle, and the current Program Director for the Africa Division, Mr. Negussie Mengesha, for reasons mentioned under (a)above.  The Service Chief is the ultimate person responsible and accountable for all things wrong in the unit, and for managing the unit to achieve the objectives of VOA as stated in its Charter. The management staff should work as a cohesive team of professionals who understand that they are working for the Government of the United States, realize they are paid by the tax payers and should protect the foreign policy interests of the United States, abide by the code of ethics of VOA, work in harmony with their colleagues within and outside the division, and do not serve foreign special interest groups by design or oversight; and

(b)Staff of the Horn of Africa Service who consistently breaks the
rules and code of ethics of the organization should be given the opportunity to be accountable to the institution's charter, and to
act as professional journalist rather than as a member and/or supporter of an opposing political party.

We appeal to the Broadcasting Board of Governors to scrutinize the staff of the Horn of Africa Section and Program Division, and
take corrective actions to contain the spread of terrorism and avoid possible consequential damages in the Centennially cordial relationships between the peoples of United States and Ethiopia.  We believe Ethiopia would continue to be an important ally of the United States, it is a huge country that is located strategically with over 70 million people, and it would be important to maintain radio program targeting those listeners.


We pray the Governors would give serious consideration to our suggestions for improvement. Thank you very much.





Sincerely,

Advocacy Group for
Voice of Ethiopiawinet


cc:    Messrs. Joaquin F. Blaya, Edward E. Kaufman,
Norman J. Pattiz, Steven
J. Simmons, and Colin Powell; and  Mmes. Veronique
Rodman and Blanquita
Walsch Cullum (Governors of BBG)

Mr. Brian T. Conniff, Executive Director of VOA

Mr. Bruce Sherman, Deputy Executive Director

Ms. Carol Booker, Legal Counsel

Ms. Kelly Lehman Sullivan, Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Susan Andross, Congressional Coordinator

Mr. James Morrow, Program Review and Strategic
Planning  Officer

Homeland Security (Mr. Thomas Ridge)

Department of Justice (Mr. John Aschcroft)

House Committee on International Relations

Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal

US Embassy in Ethiopia

 

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