Harry Johnston: “I have probably been the most severe critic of Ethiopia and, on the next one, Kenya, under human rights. Last year I…”

“I have probably been the most severe critic of Ethiopia and, on the next one, Kenya, under human rights. Last year I visited both countries, spoke to President Moi at length of Kenya, spoke to President Meles at length in Ethiopia. Also, I met with President Meles here in Washington last year and tried to go over the items that I am sure the gentlewoman from Texas has already enumerated. I will say this though in Ethiopia: Everything being relative, if you check what happened in the Mengistu regime versus what has happened in the Meles regime, it is light years advancement there. No. 2 is Ethiopia has helped tremendously in our conflict in Sudan, and has intervened there, and has shown that they would like to come into the community of nations. There is a task force that has met with the opposing parties in Ethiopia, in Washington here, in the early winter, in which the State Department, and the Carter Center, and myself, and Congressman Hastings met with these parties for 3 days, and I think we are about to arrive at a breakthrough there in which human rights will be observed better than it has been in the past, and I look forward. I appreciate the gentlewoman's understanding here in her ability to come to, I think, an excellent compromise with the State Department, with AID, and with the other factions, and I strongly support the bill.”