Ethiopian diaspora holds pro-Abiy rallies, denounce Biden

Back off Ethiopia, they chanted. 

Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the White House in Washington, DC, to voice their support for the Ethiopian government and denounce the US government's foreign policy there, seen as sympathetic to rebels fighting Addis Ababa.

They held placards expressing support for PM Abiy Ahmed and also slammed US sanctions on the country and its neighbor Eritrea, which they said were meant to force Abiy to give into his aggressors.

"Ethiopians can govern their own affair. The United States should not interfere in this and that is why we're here. We're here to say no more Afghanistan, no more Syria in Ethiopia. Ethiopia can decide its own fate, and the interference that we see from Western countries is totally uncalled for, it's not necessary and it should stop," said Abel Gashe, a protest co-organizer and senior financial consultant from Northern Virginia.

Rallies were also in London. Protestors waving Ethiopian and Eritrean flags denounced what they termed as western bullying. The US has sanctioned Asmara for its role in the conflict in Ethiopia.