AID in Africa has controversial reputation. Critics say it is wasteful and does little to assist the poor. Some even argue that it is counter-productive by making recipients dependent on hand-outs. Seldom, though, are western aid agencies accused of providing the funding for human rights abuses.
Yet on July 14th a British court ruled that an Ethiopian man had legal grounds to ask for a judicial review of Britain's development assistance to Ethiopia after he alleged it had led to human rights abuses. The man, identified only as Mr O to protect his identity, claimed that Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) had contribute funding to a resettlement program that led to human rights abuses being committed on his community in Ethiopia.
In arguments before the court it was alleged that Mr O was forcibly relocated from his village in the Gambella region of western Ethiopia as a result of a government "villagisation" scheme. His...Continue reading
[view whole blog post ]