It was a charity appeal on a global scale. In 1985, an unprecedented array of performers took part in two marathon, televised concerts in Britain and the United States – all to raise money for a terrible famine in Ethiopia. And it worked. It’s thought the concerts eventually generated about two hundred and fifty million dollars in donations from the public. But now, evidence has emerged that the aid agencies charged with distributing that money, were hoodwinked: that millions of dollars were diverted to buy weapons for rebels in Ethiopia – and that the United States knew this was going on. For Assignment, Martin Plaut of BBC investigates. Click below to listen:
[podcast]http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/docarchive/docarchive_20100304-0906a.mp3[/podcast]
13 thoughts on “US Gov’t knew Woyanne was using food aid to buy weapons”
Shocking! Shame on the US Administration of the time
It’s really sad to see Ethiopia being ruled by scum of the earth so called Wayane. But for BBC now to come out to the open and disclose such dirty secret seems something nasty is in store for Wayane. Maybe time has come for the west to damp Meles in to the dust bin of history.
Martin Plaut, the BBC Africa news editor, has been one of the main mouthpieces of those Western special interests who give unfettered support to the tplf clique. The question that has to be explored is why Martin Plaut is making a 180 degree turn to report one of the epic incriminating episodes of the TPLF? Moreover, the same can also be said, though to a lesser extent on the involvement of the CIA.
It is absolutely out of character for Martin Plaut to come out with such a report. As for the story, it is not news since Ato Ghebremedhin Araya, ex-treasurer of the TPLF, has been speaking out on this gross crime against humanity for quite a while. One can speculate as to why such a huge incriminating story comes out now and by a staunch Melles supporter. As the masters of the Woyanes had in certain instances leaked through Martin Plaut their positions on the Woyanes or what Melles’s next move would be,it is likely that they/Masters of the Woyanes/ are positioning themselves in their frustrating search for an alternative.
What we know is that what the masters of the Woyanes had hoped in the tplf frog to be an elephant of our Horn region is increasingly becoming a source of disappointment and frustration. On the other hand, the awareness of the peoples of the Horn and the resistance strategies that are evolving are pointing in the right direction.
Time is running against both the Woyanes and its neocolonialist masters.
Truth shall prevail!
Given what TPLF is all about, this findings will never and ever surprise me.It just proves nothing more than what we already know about these ever cruel and unkind creatures.
This was 25 years ago..What about today?
I am sure they know well what is going on with this suppresive TPLF regime and Meles who is doing the same as Megestu!
” Addis Negus Enji Meche Lewet Meta” belual wedu Teddy!!
Dear Elias
We know it. The despicable woyanne minority junta using the same technique to this day. The west paid for the weapon purchased by their sub servant woyanne during the war with Eritrea. And now after imposing unjustified sanction on Eritrea by UN, the minority junta woyannes are thinking expanding their military arsenal to be paid by the west tax payer and the people in the west know about it. This news is about what happened twenty-five years ago. Are they really going to tell us what has happened in recent years and what is happening now after twenty or so years as a news? The west is hypocrite and as to this news I am not surprised.
Eliase-Why are you not posting my comments?
To go back to the topic at hand-Seye and Gebru Asrat should tell us the truth …they can not play both games..if they join the people they should tell ethiopians what crimes committed..when they were leading this monster front? Seye -were the facts revealed by gebremedehin and Dr. Aregawi right? This is serious crime as Meles and et al will be brought to court to face justice for starving ethiopians to death by diverting money donated to buy them food to buy weopons…this a crime of its highest form..
How about now Wyenaes using aid to coerse and force voters to get EPRDF card…The US knows about it but it is turning its blind eyes so the house nigger meles could get elected and serve their interest in the horn…forget 25 years ago ..it is happening right now as we speak…Meles using aid to strengthen his stay in power…
BBC trying to be “PilaTos”?, kedemu nitsuh negn?
Whom is Martin Plaut fooling now, more than 25 years later, as if he had not been the primary defendant of the indefensible minority mafia?
Is there something cooking clandestine, against the hopeless disposable mafia ring leader, just like Noriega?
Lehulum gize alew!
BBC, as always, stinks!
@ kassa,,
You said Meles is same as Mengistu!!! what a pathetic lier you are? Your comment proves your stupidity!!! Mengistu was not crul,,he never cause the ethiopian people to be starved for political reason( unlike the current hyenas); he was not theif and he was not lier….Ofcourse,you might be a member of EPRP and he may be your enamy then!!! But,know that we always love and respect him for his sprit of protecting Ethiopia
and for his sprit of loving people,especially poors…History and true will never die!!!
I don’t know why people, especially of Ethiopian origin are surprised about this revelation.
TPLF has always been the most treacherous of any group that ever emerged in the Ethiopian polity.
Furthermore, this elusive group has always been a collection of savages who have no concern for the avearge peasant.
It is no wonder that it has used every deceptive means to advance it narrow, backward, and primitive agenda.
TPLF’s cruelity and its blood drenched hands has always been out there in the open for everyone to see and judge. Although these facts have been well documented, circulation of such data have been limited. Hopefully, when everyone ‘wakes up from thier self-imposed slumber’, ultimately, all will realize that this barabaric group is a curse to all Ethiopians.
Hello All,
The sanction imposed on Eritrea is indirectly an imposition to Ethiopia. Eritrea had been sanctioned for the last 10 years and it not new and thy have adjusted it well. The west is sensing the progress made by all the opesition and freedom fighters threatening their interest and the excistance of the weyane. The west have no choice but to curtail the hub of the Ethiopian movement giving a pritext of non issue of Somali insurgencies and Dijubuti border. While pretending to care for the Somalis, in actuality their are protecting their interest. It is time for all Ethiopian and Eritrean to take the fight to the next level. We are destained to live side by side and we oat to protect our interest. The slave of the west has gone to a point of no return. The only alternative is the eradication of these cancer that is eating Ethiopia alive. The like of Martin P. repeating what we already know is boring and the some thing happened during the war of 1998 and soon or later we will find out. We don’t need the racist journalist like Martin P. we can lead our future by developing our human capacity. Thanks to the model Eritrea is leading and sooner or later everyone in Africa will follow not only the horn of Africa alone. Look how quick the Eritreans had organized to show their stand with their people and government. There are more Ethiopian in the diaspora than Eritreans. It is time for the Ethiopians to lead the task and save Ethiopia. Legese and his gangs have no power their life line is the west and the west goes only after their interest. If the Ethiopians organize well in no time you will see how the west will dump the scum of the earth.
Eye witness testimony
….”Mr Araya, who fell out with the rebel leadership in late 1989 and was forced to flee the country before spending a decade in African refugee programs waiting for Australia to accept him, now lives in a small flat in Perth’s Doubleview.
He said instead of the cash and food being handed out to the poor and dying, the vast majority of it went into the pockets and bellies of the warlords, who were also being supported by the CIA. Taking on the role of a Muslim merchant, he convinced the authorities that he was a pivotal man to deal with. He had access to vast amounts of cash and food.
“I was acting as a merchant, as a Muslim, and they (NGOs) don’t know me because my name was Mohammed,” he said. “The money, much of it, the leaders put it in their accounts in Western Europe . . . Some of it was used to buy weapons. The people did not get half a kilogram of maize.
“I received a great amount of money from the NGOs and automatically it was taken by (rebel leaders). This is a heavy trick, assigned by the top leaders.”
When the NGOs wanted to check on whether the food was being processed and organised to be distributed into regions, Mr Araya would show them warehouses full of sacks stacked on top of each other. “But if you go there, half of the warehouse is stacked full of sand,” he said