Mereja.Forum

[Zmeselo]

The World Food Program (WFP) has called for an immediate end to the forced collection of 200 birr per family member from internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tigray.

In a letter to Tigray regional authorities, the UN agency condemned the practice, which is being carried out under the pretext of "saving the TPLF."

WFP expressed deep concern over the unspecified consequences faced by families unable to pay and urged an end to the exploitation and manipulation of these vulnerable IDPs.

[Zmeselo]

Can Ethiopia Overcome Its $28.9 Billion Debt Burden?

Ethiopia is in the final stages of renegotiating its $28.9 billion external debt, with around $12 billion owed to multilateral lenders like the IMF and World Bank, $7 billion to China, and $8 billion to Western nations and Wall Street.

With a $3.4 billion IMF financing program in place, questions arise about the impact on Ethiopia’s economic reforms, revenue generation, and financial stability. Will restructuring ease the burden or introduce new challenges?

Meanwhile, Ethiopia's total public debt has surged to $68.9 billion, accounting for 69% of the country's GDP. This follows a decline in GDP by $107 billion to $100 billion, due to an IMF-mandated currency devaluation.

As expected, these are challenging economic times for Ethiopia and its people. However, this crisis offers relief to neighboring countries (Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea) by delaying scenarios for potential "territorial" conflicts, as Ethiopia’s struggling economy forces its inexperienced leader to focus on survival rather than external disputes.

The unhinged PP cadres, on the other hand, think it is the right time to invade another country.

The level ignorance is frightening.🥱

[Zmeselo]

HOW THE IMF KEEPS AFRICANS POOR

Financial-rights activist Alex Gladstein dissects the IMF's African operations in this video. Drawing on the case of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), he reveals a pattern of the institution appointing its own officials to oversee African treasuries, fostering export-led economies, devaluing local currencies and striking deals with dictators.

In Kenya, protests erupted in June 2024 against an IMF-backed finance bill, with demonstrators accusing the government of jeopardising the nation's future by succumbing to the organisation's neocolonialist tactics. Currently, Kenya is in talks with the IMF to establish a new lending programme, following a $606 million loan granted in October 2024, further diminishing public confidence.

Instead of pursuing comprehensive solutions to Africa's escalating debt crisis or considering viable alternatives, such as progressive tax reforms, the IMF continues to implement policies that weaken the economies of African nations.

One way it does this is by granting them loans - but only on condition they privatise their economies and allow Western corporations almost free access to their raw materials and markets, the perfect way to lock African nations into poverty.

[Zmeselo]

አብ ሓዊ ተጠበስ። ሓዉና አይኮንካን። ሓሳድ ቡዳ። ምሳኹም ዓቢ መንደቕ እዮ ዘድሊ።

[Zmeselo]

[Fiyameta]

[Zmeselo]