| North Korea & Ethiopia Have Been Strange Bedfellows Ethiopians: U.S. Ally Against Terror & in Korean War But North Korea Set Up Weapons Factory There U.S. Then Wanted It Shut Down |
| “Addis Ababa, December 6 (WIC) – Ethiopia and North Korea here on Wednesday signed agreement to avoid double taxation. The agreement will enable the two sides to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion on income taxes between the two countries.” (6 Dec 12) See story here. |
| April 8, 2007North Koreans Arm Ethiopians as U.S. AssentsBy MICHAEL R. GORDON and MARK MAZZETTIWASHINGTON, April 7 — Three months after the United States successfully pressed the United Nations to impose strict sanctions on North Korea because of the country’s nuclear test, Bush administration officials allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from the North, in what appears to be a violation of the restrictions, according to senior American officials.The United States allowed the arms delivery to go through in January in part because Ethiopia was in the midst of a military offensive against Islamic militias inside Somalia, a campaign that aided the American policy of combating religious extremists in the Horn of Africa.American officials said that they were still encouraging Ethiopia to wean itself from its longstanding reliance on North Korea for cheap Soviet-era military equipment to supply its armed forces and that Ethiopian officials appeared receptive.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/08ethiopia.html?pagewanted=all |
| “Despite Prime Minister Meles’ apparent receptivity to discussing Ethiopia’s arms supply relationship with North Korea (Ref A) as well as discussion with the Secretary during her visit, Ethiopia’s Chief of Defense Staff (CHOD), General Samora Yonus, adamantly opposes U.S. scrutiny of Ethiopian munitions factories connected with North Korea or any other country, and dismissed U.S. concerns over North Korea-Ethiopia ties arguing that these are productive and not in violation of international agreements. General Samora was emphatic in stressing that North Korean arms are inexpensive and North Korean help with arms manufacturing will allow Ethiopia to meet its obligations in UN peacekeeping missions and its strategic interests in Somalia.” (Cable from U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, 14 June 08; from WikiLeaks) |