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John O'Shea, Sunday Independent, 29th October 2006
Sir,
In the wake of the damning report which showed that 193 people were killed by Ethiopian police during post-election violence in Ethiopia in 2005 - triple the official toll - the Irish Government must now accept that the current Ethiopian regime is repressing the people because it lacks democratic legitimacy. The regime is driving Ethiopia to more conflict, poverty and war. An official inquiry into the violence described the violence as 'a massacre'.
"These demonstrators were unarmed yet the majority died from shots to the head . . . There is no doubt that excessive force was used," the report reads.
But the Ethiopia Government is trying to suppress the report.
European Union observers found the election (May 2005) fell short of international principles for genuine democratic elections.
Nearly the entire Opposition leadership is currently on trial on charges ranging from treason to genocide and conspiracy for calling for nationwide protests against the results of the May 15 elections.
Amnesty International has called the defendants "prisoners of conscience who have not used or advocated violence".
Last February Minister Conor Lenihan explained that he intended to keep Ireland's aid programme for Ethiopia under constant review.
Yet Ethiopia will receive €32m in Irish taxpayers' cash this year. While the Minister is adamant that no Irish aid money goes directly to the Ethiopian Government via direct or general budget support, it is allocated to sector ministries, local governments and civil society organisations. But anyone who suggests that the aid - provided to local government structures - is not given directly to the government is misleading the public or simply does not understand how aid works.
John O'Shea
GOAL
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