Caption: NRCE-GIE President Ghebre Bahdurai with Congresswoman Betty McCollum, with Former Congressman and NRCE-GIE lobbyist Jim Moran looking on in the background.
Washington, DC—On June 26th, 2024, Ghebre Bahdurai, President of The National Representative Council of Eritrea-Government In Exile (NRCE-GIE), met with Congresswoman Betty McCollum, an influential member of Congress representing Minnesota’s congressional district since 2001, as well as the Congresswoman’s Chief of Staff, Joshua Straka. Congresswoman McCollum includes St. Paul, Minnesota’s capital city, and has a large Eritrean, Ethiopian, and Somali diaspora. Congresswoman McCollum has significant influence over U.S. foreign policy and defense policy as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
The meeting had been arranged by Moran Global Strategies, NRCE-GIE’s lobbying firm in Washington, DC. NRCE-GIE lobbyists Former Congressman Jim Moran and Elias Gerasoulis participated in the discussion. The meeting occurred in the Washington, DC office building where Moran Global Strategies is located.
During the conversation, President Bahdurai briefed Congresswoman McCollum on the NRCE-GIE’s goals. President Bahdurai highlighted to the Congresswoman the brutal nature of the Afwerki dictatorship, and that Eritrea, under Afwerki’s leadership, is cozying up to U.S. competitors and adversaries such as Russia and China. President Bahdurai noted to the Congresswoman that this goes against U.S. interests, especially given the geo-strategic location of Eritrea, and its projection into the Red Sea. President Bahdurai stated, by contrast, that the NRCE-GIE is strongly pro-Western, and pro-United States. As such, President Bahdurai emphasized, that it is critical for the U.S. government to officials engage with and support the NRCE-GIE.
At the end of the meeting, President Bahdurai provided the Congresswoman with a folder containing informational materials regarding the NRCE-GIE. The Congresswoman and President Bahdurai agreed to be in touch, and the NRCE-GIE will be working closely with the Congresswoman and her office moving forward.
According to President Bahdurai, “I had been greatly honored to meet with Congresswoman McCollum. This is a great milestone for the NRCE-GIE and demonstrates the effectiveness of our lobbyists. We look forward to meetings with many more members of Congress in the weeks and months to come.”
“I want to thank our lobbying firm, Moran Global Strategies, for arranging for this important meeting.”