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APA -Addis Ababa(Ethiopia)
21 December 2024 | 19:24
FILE – In this Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 file photo, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize was given to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday Oct. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, file)
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The Caucus of Opposition Parties (CoP), an umbrella group of six opposition parties in Ethiopia, has accused the ruling Prosperity Party of turning the country into a “war economy.”
In a statement released during the weekend, the Caucus warned over the “rapid shrinking of civic space, alleging the government for detaining and putting pressure on journalists, rights advocates, and humanitarian actors.
The Caucus also which includes the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), claimed that the government “has allocated most of the annual budget to war and security, leaving development and infrastructure projects underfunded.”
They warned that this has resulted in “deepening economic hardship,” with citizens struggling under rising living costs.
The statement further alleged, “Political parties have been stripped of their constitutional rights. Citizens have been criminalized and forced into silent compliance.” The Caucus said adding “the economy has shifted to a war economy, with the majority of resources diverted away from development.”
The opposition parties also condemned recent amendments to the Mass Media Proclamation, stating, “Media outlets are being shut down, and journalists are facing imprisonment or exile.” They added, “Rights advocates and activists are being harassed and intimidated.”
The opposition expressed concern over failure regional and international diplomacy, stating, “The country’s diplomatic and trade relationships are becoming strained due to a lack of careful analysis and short-term political decisions.” They urged the government to adopt policies based on “sustainable strategic aims” rather than “temporary conditions.”
MG/as/APA