|
Irish Times (supplement), 17th September 2007
Madam,
The points raised in JA Barnwell's letter concerning human rights in the horn of Africa (September 12th) have to be addressed. The situation in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia is one that should be looked at very closely by the Irish Government given the huge amount of development aid channelled through the Ethiopian government every year. For the past six months Ogaden has been under a government blockade. Medecins Sans Frontieres have reported that government forces have torched villages, denied access to water and infringed the basic human rights of 400,000 people.
This has the makings of the next major humanitarian tragedy on the African continent. I am calling on the Irish Government to use its influence with Ethiopia to bring a stop to this blockade.
Ethiopia is the second largest recipient of Irish development aid – EUR30 million in 2006. I have always believed that good friends let each other know when they've lost their way. If the Ethiopian government wants to continue being such a close friend of the Irish Government, it must lift this blockade and treat its people with the respect they deserve.
Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA
Goal
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin.
|
