Ethiopia’s OLF says govt continue to rob food aid

September 6, 2006 — It is a public secret that more than 10 million people are starving in Ethiopia. This is mainly the result of TPLF’s failed economic policies and lack of personal freedom. On the other hand, the government is using starvation as a weapon to silence the poor people and making them to focus on their daily bread than on the larger problem that the country is facing. Western governments and NGOs are responding to the incidence of starvation by providing food aid. Although this is the generosity by donors, our people are not making use of this support. It is the government is using the aid as a political tool.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has repeatedly recounted that the government of Ethiopia is diverting the aid to feed its own army or sell the food items provided as aid. We have also informed the international community that the government is using food aid to gain political support. They have been distributing food aid only to those who accepted their political program and denying those who question any of their failed policy. This is contrary to what the aid program has been meant for.

What is currently going on at food aid stations in Shashemenne, Wolayita and Finfinne (Addis Ababa) run by Oxfam and Alula Care is a good example. The aid was ear marked for the starved people in the southern Oromia and Somali region. However, with a direct order from the federal government office the aid are being loaded and sold somewhere else. Even though this is not a new phenomenon, the government is claiming that the owners and drivers of the trucks carrying the aid are stealing the aid food. Actually the government agents have been organizing and misdirecting the food aid by paying the drivers a lump sum of money corresponding to the volume of food they are transporting.

The following table summarizes the drama.

No.
Plate No. of the truck
Driver name
Owner of truck
Amount

loaded /quintal/
Dispatch No.
Exit no.
Date of dispatch
Money paid

to driver

1
3-04879
Sisaay Yilmaa
Riyad Ahmad
100
23884

08/06/2006
5,000.00

2
3-21792/05501
Indashow Fallaqaa
Birhaanee W/ Sillasee
250
23879

12/06/2006
13,000.00

3
3-12947 or 3-29471
Nasir Aman
Jamal Shikur
120
23900
32377
13/06/2006
6,000.00

4
3-11256
Kamal Umar
Tariku Ijiguu
120
23934
32424
17/06/2006
6,600.00

5
3-27594/07740
Samu’el katamaa
Tasfaye dastaa
380
23935
32413
19/06/2006
11,800.00

6
3-13303
Kifle Boggale
Dani’el G/Tatiwos
182.59
24262
35035
06/07/2006
10,000.00

7
3-13393
Damise Wariye
Li’ul Marqos
300
23936
32408
19/06/2006
16,000.00

8
3-22190 or 3-08912
Yared Tasfaye
Balay Balachow
250
24305
32475
19/06/2006
11,500.00

9
3-16019
Alam Ara’ayaa
Firew Girma
150
24307
32462
19/06/2006
7,000.00

10
3-02601 or

3-07175
Sintayohu Axnafu
Shifaa Sharif
286.36
24347

26/06/2006
10,000.00

11
3-11757
Alabachow Kabbade
Dani’el G/tatiwos
257.93
24319
32494
27/06/2006
10,000.00

12
3-27699
Indale Idiris
Dawit Nigus
182.53
24325
35021
27/06/2006
6,000.00

13
3-19456
Addis Habte
Lamma Habte
125
24351

17/06/2006
6,000.00

14
3-15299
Shamsu Samman
Ahmad Indiris
100
24371
32439
21/06/2006
11,600.00

15
3-02940 or 3-06414
Nardos Gizow
KidaneG/mariyam
250
24376
32447
21/06/2006
10,000.00

16
3-21161
FasilTasfaye
Nuradin Ahmad
200
24386
32476
24/06/2006
6,200.00

The above table shows that more than 3250 quintals of aid have been stolen by the government during the month of June alone. With the current market value of Birr 250 per quintal, the total amount of money stolen from the food aid depot sums up to more than Birr 815, 000 (more than USD 100,000).

We, therefore, request all donors to transport the food aid they provide and devise a mechanism that ensures their food aid reaches the needy people. We also ask the international community, US government, EU and AU to put necessary pressure on Ethiopian government to allow aid agencies to deliver food aid to the victims. It is our conviction that unless the government’s sinister activity is curbed soon the already debilitating conditions of the population in Ethiopia will continue to worsen.

Information Division

OLF Foreign Relation