President Biden’s decision to put human rights at the center of his foreign policy agenda is facing its first major test: A U.S. ally, Ethiopia, stands credibly accused of carrying out atrocities in a war that could tear the Horn of Africa apart, and the administration is rushing to translate statements into actions.
Biden is reportedly considering assigning a special envoy to the region to aid in the resolution of the region’s multifarious conflicts, which include a spiraling four-month civil war that has killed thousands of people and threatens to destabilize the entire region. Now, the president has sent Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware to find a way to stop the bloodshed. In addition to its negative impact on trade and commerce, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, this war could also affect the fight against terrorism and create a massive humanitarian crisis. The result will tell us much about the prospects of success for the White House’s reorientation of U.S. foreign policy.
