Zebiba

To @SecRubio, @StateDept, @RepBrianFitz, @HouseForeignGOP, and the United States Congress: Reuters reports that Ethiopia has received 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and plans to acquire four S-400 air-defense batteries. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not disclosed the purchase price. nitter.cf/ReutersAfrica/status/2… As an Ethiopian-American taxpayer, I am calling for congressional scrutiny of these transactions and the financial safeguards surrounding U.S. assistance to Ethiopia. Consider the numbers: • 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets: approximately $996 million–$1.02 billion, based on comparable export-package estimates of $83–85 million per aircraft. • Four Russian S-400 air-defense batteries: additional undisclosed costs. • U.S. foreign assistance to Ethiopia in FY2025: $852.1 million obligated and approximately $919.8 million disbursed. The estimated value of the fighter jets alone exceeds the amount of U.S. assistance obligated to Ethiopia in FY2025. These figures do not prove that U.S. assistance purchased Russian weapons. But they raise serious questions about government spending priorities, aid oversight, and whether international assistance indirectly frees domestic resources for military procurement. Congress should investigate: 1. What is the actual cost of Ethiopia's Russian military acquisitions, and who financed them? 2. Could U.S. assistance indirectly enable military spending through budgetary substitution? 3. Do these transactions warrant examination under CAATSA? 4. What safeguards ensure American assistance reaches its intended beneficiaries? 5. Why are advanced weapons being acquired while civilians remain vulnerable to repeated massacres? And there is a question that goes beyond financial accountability. Who killed the innocent Orthodox Christians? Who armed the perpetrators? Who gave the orders? Who protected them? Since 2018, repeated attacks against civilians have raised grave questions about the responsibility of Ethiopia's federal and regional authorities. Any credible investigation must examine allegations of state complicity and follow the evidence through the chain of command. Secretary Rubio and Congressman Fitzpatrick, I ask for meaningful congressional oversight of these military transactions, American foreign assistance, and the Ethiopian government's response to atrocities against civilians. Follow the money. Follow the weapons. Follow the chain of command. American taxpayers deserve transparency. Ethiopian victims deserve justice. We are documenting victims whose stories have gone unheard: voices.ktinsight.com/ @SecRubio @StateDept @RepBrianFitz @HouseForeignGOP @USEmbassyAddis #Ethiopia #OrthodoxChristians #ReligiousPersecution #TaxpayerAccountability

Ambassador Nagy, where have you been all this time? With respect, I find your statement deeply disappointing. Ethiopia's tragedy is not merely the possibility of religious conflict or damage to its international reputation. Innocent Orthodox Christians are being slaughtered, families displaced, and communities terrorized. Their lives matter far more than the country's image. I remember an Ambassador Tibor Nagy who spoke with conviction, challenged uncomfortable truths, and stood for American values. What happened to that voice? Has maintaining the appearance of stability under Abiy Ahmed become more important than confronting the suffering of ordinary Ethiopians? Has your relationship with Abiy's administration influenced how you interpret these atrocities? And has the geopolitical focus on Eritrea overshadowed the human rights crisis unfolding within Ethiopia? I urge you to revisit the record beginning in 2018, when Abiy came to power. Examine the recurring violence, the warnings from religious leaders, the displacement of communities, and the response of federal and Oromia regional authorities. Do not stop at asking who pulled the trigger. Ask who gave the orders, who provided the weapons, who protected the perpetrators, and who benefited from the violence. Follow the evidence wherever it leads, including to the highest levels of government. I also question the approach of Ambassador Massinga and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa. Have their public positions and engagement with Abiy's government adequately reflected the suffering of civilians? Have they fairly distinguished between armed actors, communities defending themselves, and those committing atrocities? These questions deserve serious examination. Ambassador, I respectfully ask you to reconsider your position. The American values of religious freedom, human dignity, accountability, and justice must never become secondary to political relationships or a preferred vision of regional stability. The Tibor Nagy I remember would ask difficult questions, even when the answers were inconvenient. The truth shall set you free. Secretary Rubio and the U.S. Department of State, I urge you to examine the pattern of violence against Orthodox Christians, the response of Ethiopian authorities, and the conduct of U.S. diplomatic representatives. The victims deserve an independent investigation and meaningful accountability. We are working to document the victims whose stories have too often gone unheard: voices.ktinsight.com/ @SecRubio @StateDept @USEmbassyAddis #Ethiopia #OrthodoxChristians #ReligiousPersecution