Britain spends millions on Ethiopian 'special police' linked to abuses
Britain is spending millions of pounds from its foreign aid budget on
training Ethiopian paramilitaries that have been accused of human rights
abuses including summary killings, rape and torture.
By Sam Marsden
8:40AM GMT 16 Jan 2013
A government security force known as the “special police” operating in the
eastern Ogaden region will be supported as part of a UK-funded “peace and
development programme” lasting five years and costing up to £15 million.
A leaked Department for International Development document warns of the
"reputational risks” of working with organisations that are “frequently
cited in human rights violation allegations",
<
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/10/ethiopia-forces-human-rights-fu
nding> The Guardian reported.
The special police, who are up to 14,000-strong, have led the Ethiopian
government’s counter-insurgency campaign in Ogaden, a troubled region
largely populated by ethnic Somalis.
However, the campaign group Human Rights Watch has recorded repeated serious
allegations of human rights abuses against them.
Claire Beston, Amnesty International's Ethiopia researcher, said it was
highly concerning that Britain was planning to work with the paramilitary
force.
“There is no doubt that the special police have become a significant source
of fear in the region,” she told The Guardian.
A Department for International Development spokesman said: “The peace and
development programme will be delivered in partnership with non-governmental
organisations and United Nations organisations, and no funding will go
through the government of Ethiopia.”
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Received on Wed Jan 16 2013 - 12:50:37 EST
