August 11nth, 2024

 

Re: IMF and World Bank: Urgent Appeal to Reconsider Loan Agreements with the Ethiopian Regime

 

We, the members of the Federation of Amhara Associations in Europe, are deeply disturbed by loan agreements that have been reached between the Ethiopian regime and yourselves when Ethiopia is in total chaos and half of the country is going through civil wars. 

Lawlessness, abduction for ransom is rife, corruption, nepotism and cronyism have deepened their roots and the regime is fighting a losing civil war in two of the biggest regional states in the country. 

The economy is in crisis after a conflict that lasted for two years between the central government and the regional government in Tigray. The central government yet again has embarked in another conflict in the Amhara region while the rebel fighting in Oromia continues. The regime of Ethiopia is running out of money for purchase of weapons and drones as well as for recruitment of millions of soldiers including children.

The brutal regime of Abiy Ahmed has assassinated or imprisoned several prominent politicians and religious leaders, members of the civic society and journalists with no court orders or trials.

Abiy Ahmed has mastered an act of deception to the international community announcing peace initiatives in Ethiopia, but in practice he continues his barbaric war against his own people. The regime is in severe shortage of money because of its inability to collect taxes in the regions the conflicts are taking place, and due to the closed or destroyed industries and infrastructures in the country by the needless conflicts. The IMF and the World Bank don’t seem to mind  the ongoing procurement of weapons and drones by the regime, which is fueling the ongoing genocidal war against the Amhara people. 

The release of any funds to the regime is nothing less than funding the ongoing genocidal military campaign and perpetuating the suffering of the Amhara people. At this stage when the regime is on a brink of collapse, the loan  will only sustain the conflicts by providing a lifeline to the dying regime that has been using any funds it can access for purchase of weapons to extend its grip on power; in the process driving the country into unsustainable debt. 

We urge IMF and the world bank and other financial institutions to reconsider the loan agreement and the release of any funds to the Ethiopian regime at this point in time.

Yours sincerely,

 

Federation of Amhara Association in Europe