Let’s follow British lead on aid to Ethiopia

ETHIOPIAN police recently shot and wounded 16 people, three of them seriously, when a procession by tens of thousands of Orthodox Christians turned violent.

The latest outburst of police brutality follows post-election demonstrations which saw over 80 people shot dead by the army in Addis Ababa in two separate clashes in June and November.

The British government is suspending all government-to-government aid (£50 million) to the country.

The violence alarmed other international donors, with the World Bank and the EU announcing they would withhold direct budgetary support worth about €317m. As the second largest recipient of Irish taxpayers’ money, Ethiopia is expected to receive in excess of €35m this year alone. Sadly, the Government has opted against taking any sanction against their Ethiopian friends.

The British government has shown moral courage. Is it too much to ask that our Government follows that example?

John O’Shea

GOAL

PO Box 19

Dún Laoghaire

Co Dublin