Rights Groups Warn of New NGO Restrictions in Ethiopia | Voice of America - English
International human rights groups have warned of new legislation being prepared by the government of Ethiopia that the groups say would constrain the activities of nongovernmental organizations operating in the country.  As Derek Kilner reports for VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi, the government maintains the new regulations would simply be meant to streamline the operations of NGOs.Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say that the current draft of Ethiopia's proposed Charities and Societies Proclamation would drastically increase government monitoring of NGOs operating in the
Human Rights Watchand Amnesty International say that the current draft of Ethiopia'sproposed Charities and Societies Proclamation would drasticallyincrease government monitoring of NGOs operating in the country andmake it easier for the government to punish groups whose work it doesnot agree with. The organizations say Western donor governmentshave been involved in unsuccessful back-channel negotiations withEthiopian officials to soften the bill and they are now calling onthose governments to condemn the proposed legislation. TheEthiopian government denies that the bill threatens the work of NGOs,maintaining that the legislation is merely an attempt to simplifycurrent regulations and promote transparency. Wahade Belay,spokesman for Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry, said he had not seen theaccusations made by Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International, butrejected the idea that the bill would restrict development work in thecountry. "Whether it's international or domestic NGOs, it willfacilitate a smooth operation for them," he said. "It comes withaccountability, how they should raise funds, and then where should theyapply if they are domestic, if they are international. This is a draftproclamation which is designed to make the operation of NGOs smooth.This is a law that you can find in any other country." Accordingto the international groups, Ethiopian organizations working on humanrights and peace-building are likely to face the biggest challenges,with new penalties for engaging in "unlawful" activities, andrestrictions on foreign funding. But international developmentNGOs operating in the country would also face restrictions. Inparticular, international organizations would not be allowed to engagein democracy, governance, or peace-building work. Human rightsgroups have criticized Ethiopia's government in recent years forcracking down on political opponents from opposition political partiesand from civil society. The government has also been accused ofwidespread human rights abuses, particularly in its campaign againstinsurgent groups in the ethnically Somali region of the Ogaden.