Reports confirm that the 26 people shot
dead by the Ethiopian army in Addis Ababa last Wednesday were not armed.
Many were protesting at what they term "rigged elections", others
were teenagers and some were bystanders, waiting for a bus.
GOAL has asked the Irish government
to seek an explanation from the Ethiopian government for the army's behaviour.
Also, last week a World Bank commissioned report warned donors to cut aid
to Uganda over the next three years citing concerns for increasing levels
of corruption and recent political developments "which have jeopardised
Uganda's development agenda". Two weeks ago the UK Government withheld
£10 million from the Ugandan aid budget, quickly followed by the Irish
Governmentís decision to cut its aid by €2 million.
Both Governments will benefit from the Blair/Brown debt relief initiative, agreed at the weekend.
Incredibly, the Irish government will channel €60 million through the Ethiopian and Ugandan governments in the current year.