Three NGOs Suspended for Operating outside of Mandate, Permission in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, August 4/2021(ENA) The government of Ethiopia has suspended MSF Holland, Norwegian Refugee Council and Al Mektoum Foundation for breaching rules of the nation and operating outside of their mandate, according to Ethiopian Current Issues Fact Check.

MSF Holland, Norwegian Refugee Council and Al Mektoum Foundation are foreign humanitarian organizations granted a work permit /approval for work in Ethiopia from Ethiopia’s Agency for Civil Society Organizations.

While they have been engaged in different humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, the agency has identified rule violations by these organizations while monitoring their activities, according to the Fact Check.

MSF Holland and Norwegian Refugee Council have been disseminating misinformation on social media and other platforms outside of the mandate and purpose for which the organizations were permitted to operate.

All the three organizations employed foreign nationals without the appropriate work permit from the Ethiopian government for more than six months, according to the statement.

MSF Holland for its part illegally imported and using satellite radio equipment which was not authorized by the relevant authority and the employees were thus apprehended by the security forces for using the equipment for illegal purposes.

Al Mektoum Foundation failed to comply with the Ministry of Education's COVlD-19 protocol, its mismanagement of budget, the misuse of the budget in the name of the school, and problems with staff management.

Accordingly, despite repeated discussions with the executives of all the three organizations, they were unable to fix the situation.

The Agency for Civil Society Organizations stated that the activities of the organizations have been suspended for three months in accordance with Article 77 (4) of Proclamation No. 1113/2011 until a final decision is made, it was indicated.