1、 www.crs.gov | 7-5700 August 19, 2014 Ethiopia: An OverviewEthiopia is Africas second most populous country and its oldest independent state. The United States considers the Ethiopian government to be an important development and regional security partner, but also a source of concern regarding huma
2、n rights and democracy. Good relations with the United States are rooted in cooperation on efforts to counter terrorism and respond to instability in the volatile Horn of Africa region, and on shared efforts to alleviate Ethiopias endemic poverty. The country has been plagued by frequent drought and
3、 chronic food insecurity and is one of the largest recipients of U.S. foreign aid, primarily in the form of health, food, and humanitarian assistance. Ethiopia plays a key leadership role in the region and on the continent. It hosts the African Union (AU) and contributes significant numbers of troop
4、s to U.N. peacekeeping operations. Ethiopian peacekeepers play a critical role along the volatile Sudan-South Sudan border and in the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Ethiopia, which currently leads the East Africa regional body known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), ho
