Obama Draws Criticism for Saying Ethiopia Is Democratic

Some African activists have greeted President Barack Obama’s remarks that Ethiopia has a democratically elected government with scorn and concern

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, inspects the honor guard as he arrives to meet with Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn at the National Palace in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia, Monday, July 27, 2015. AP Photo/Sayyid Azim

NAIROBI, Kenya—Some African activists have greeted President Barack Obama’s remarks that Ethiopia has a democratically elected government with scorn and concern.

Obama made the comment on Monday during a news conference with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, whose ruling party won every seat in parliament in May elections.

On Tuesday, Obama urged African leaders to uphold democratic rights in a speech delivered from the headquarters of the African Union before he departed Ethiopia to end a two-nation African trip that included a stop in Kenya.

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