Lencho Bati, Ethiopian ambassador nominee, rejected by the U.S., reports local media

Ethiopia Observer

In a surprising move, the U.S. has refused to accredit Lencho Bati as Ethiopia’s new ambassador to Washington, Meseret Media reported.

According to Meseret Media, the U.S. has rejected Ambassador Lencho Bati, who recently served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and requested a different appointment. The media, citing reliable sources, reports that the issue involves concerns about Bati’s background in the U.S., including unspecified criminal charges.

Lencho, a prominent Oromo politician and former spokesperson for the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), has lived in the U.S. for decades.

So far, there has been no confirmation or explanation from the Ethiopian government.

Although the U.S. has occasionally declined to accredit diplomats from various countries, there hasn’t been a known incident involving Ethiopia. The refusal to accept the envoy’s credentials is being viewed as a “serious diplomatic incident.”