IMF and World Bank Financial Support to the Ethiopian government is “morally indefensible,” say Four Fano leaders from Amhara region
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Toronto – Four Fano leaders in the Amhara region on Friday released a joint statement opposing the IMF and World Bank decision to fund what they have been describing as “Home Grown Economic Growth Plan.”
While noting that Fano is not against international cooperation, it underscored that the decision is “ill-advised” and “Premature.” They say the funding will “finance the dying regime’s genocidal war against the Amhara people.”
The statement, which is addressed to IMF and World Bank Directors, listed a range of gross human rights violation in the Amhara region by what they called “armed forces of the Abiy regime” and “…the financial support provided by the IMF and the World Bank to the authoritarian regime engaged in such heinous acts is not only deeply troubling but also morally indefensible.”
The full content of the press release is featured below
“Joint Press Statement from Amhara Fano Leaders
International financial institutions are making a mistake of historic proportions by endorsing Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia
August 2, 2024 (Hamle 26, 2016 EC)
For the attention of International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President Ajay Banga
We, the Amhara Fano express our great dismay and disappointment by the decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to approve over $10 billion in financing to the Abiy Ahmed led Prosperity Party regime in Ethiopia. This substantial financial support comes at a time when the Abiy regime is actively committing gross violations of internationally recognized human rights having mobilized all national resources to a deadly war campaign against its own citizens. We, as Amhara Fano freedom fighters, believe in the need for economic development in cooperation with international partners for the prosperity of the Ethiopian people, however we starkly believe this vision is impossible to achieve so long as the Abiy regime remains in power. Therefore, this ill-advised and premature decision by the IMF and World Bank will not serve to support any homegrown reform agenda but will rather serve to finance the dying regime’s genocidal war against the Amhara people.
Over the past 15 months, various international organizations have documented a pattern of war crimes committed by armed forces of the Abiy regime against innocent men, women, children and elderly persons in Amhara Region and surrounding areas. Over this period tens of thousands of civilians have suffered under indiscriminate artillery shelling, deadly drone attacks, deliberate attacks on regional health infrastructure, sexual and gender-based violence, ethnic profiling and arbitrary arrest, detainment in concentration camps, and torture. The financial support provided by the IMF and the World Bank to the authoritarian regime engaged in such heinous acts is not only deeply troubling but also morally indefensible.
As we stand, the billions of dollars in loans and grants provided by the IMF and the World Bank to the Abiy regime will not provide any economic benefit or relief to the Ethiopian people, as the Amhara Region has been under communications and humanitarian blockade for over a year and a half amidst a genocidal war against our people. Furthermore, Abiy and his cabinet members including Oromia Region President Shimelis Abdisa are engaged in extravagant and grandiose projects including the construction of a $10 billion palace and a $1 billion palace. This is an egregious and shameful misuse of national resources at a time when over 20 million Ethiopians are in dire need of food aid. The lavish spending on not one but two palaces by the regime stands in stark contrast to the widespread poverty and hunger facing the Ethiopian population, highlighting a profound disconnect between the regime’s priorities and the urgent needs of everyday people. By providing financial support to a regime that is actively perpetrating atrocities and neglecting its own citizens, the IMF and World Bank would be complicit in the gross crimes and corruption of the regime.
We would like to draw attention to the historical precedent set by the IMF and the World Bank in the context of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In the years leading up to the Rwandan genocide, these international financial institutions provided significant financial support to the Rwandan government. Unfortunately, much of this funding was misappropriated by the regime to finance the military and other state apparatuses that facilitated and executed the genocide. This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked financial support to governments that engage in gross human rights violations. With this decision, the IMF and the World Bank appear to be repeating historic mistakes without regard for universal human rights, justice and accountability – this time at the expense of the Amhara people and the greater Ethiopian people.
In conclusion, the billions of dollars in loans provided by the IMF and the World Bank may prolong the life of the dying regime but it will not keep the regime in power for long nor will it help the Ethiopian economy which has been ailing from consecutive wars. We firmly believe that international financial institutions are making a mistake of historic proportions by endorsing Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia and call upon leaders of these institutions to make all possible efforts to reverse the course of their misguided decisions. And despite this, we the Amhara Fano remain committed to our fight for justice, to remove the genocidal Abiy regime from power as we remain committed to defending the rights, dignity, and freedom of our people. We will continue to stand against any and all forms of oppression and call for justice for victims of genocide and injustice.
Signatories:
Zemene Kassie Bawke, Amhara Fano in Gojjam
Baye Kenaw, Amhara Fano in Gonder
Desalegn Siyasibshewa, Amhara Fano in Shewa Command
Mihret Wedajo, Amhara Fano in Wollo”
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Since when IMF and WB doing business with gorilla fighters? plus did you just said “Four Fano leaders in the Amhara region” it supposed to be one Fano leader here if they really want to get attention :) No IMF and WB wants to deal with 4 leaders each with 100 soldiers and rifle
People stopped being shy nowadays…. they didn’t even get full local support let alone the international organizations mentioned here.
Geta hoy ebakeh leyeteh meta…
Even a broken clock is right twice a day: What the Fannos leaders are stating is completely correct. Despite knowing the genocidal character of African leaders against their own people, the IMF, WB, and the rest of the western firms continue to provide finance for genociders whenever a need arises. However, when it comes to a potential war that could erupt in their region and require their intervention to the point where it could harm their economy and affect the lives of their citizens, they tend to deploy negotiators ahead of time to avert any conflict before it takes shape. Negotiators are pleading with Iranian leaders to forgo their plans to exact retribution on Israel. However, there is no historical example of the Western world intervening to prevent conflict in poor countries other than emerging as negotiators following the deaths of millions of innocent civilians, including children. Please donot mock at your citizens by throwing derogatiry phrases like “” they really want to get attention :)”” አንዳንድ አበሻ ወገኑን ማንኳሰስ ነጫጭን ማንቆላጰስ ያውቅበታል If that is the only unparalled expertise you have, you deserve an exclusive prize for that.
Sometimes one needs to be reasonable. Wars has no place in modern day democracies. It only worsen the suffering of peasants. Ethiopians need to avoid being egocentric. Ethiopia deserves more than egocentric tribal warlords in the name of TPLF, FANO, OLF and others. Even if any of them become triumphant, a new one will be formed against it. TPLF was brought to its knee by unarmed students uprising, a viable root to bring down irresponsible government.