It has been reported that Ethiopia erroneously transferred its annual contribution of $6 million to the African Development Bank (AFDB) to an incorrect account.
The incident comes in the wake of a series of challenges between the Ethiopian government and the AFDB, including the recent altercation involving two AFDB employees who were allegedly beaten, arrested, and tortured by Ethiopian security forces in Addis Ababa.
A month ago, the AFDB revealed that Ethiopia violated the Vienna Convention on the Protection of Diplomacy and the Agreement of the AFDB Office in Host Countries.
The AFDB formally reported the incident to the Ethiopian government, urging an investigation and appropriate action.
However, the bank contends that Ethiopia failed to take action against the alleged violators, and no information regarding the investigation was provided.
In response, the AFDB announced the closure of its Ethiopian office, relocating its employees to other countries. Subsequently, it was reported that the individuals responsible for assaulting Abdul Kamara, were identified as bodyguards of the Ethiopian Finance Minister, as per Daily Nation.
The AFDB has transferred its foreign citizen employees, who were stationed in Addis Ababa, to other countries. These transferred employees continue to perform their duties remotely, servicing the Ethiopian office from abroad.
The unfortunate incident involving the beating and arrest of the AFDB employees by Ethiopian security forces reportedly stemmed from the employees notifying the government about the non-payment of the annual contribution of $5.2 million to the bank.
Among those targeted was Bosco Bukenya, the head of the Ethiopian program for the bank, who was reportedly arrested and beaten. Shockingly, the Ministry of Finance mistakenly sent the money not to the AFDB’s account in Abidjan but to another account in Mexico or Panama, held in the bank’s name.
Bosco Bukenya, subjected to a search of his home by Ethiopian security forces, had his laptops and receipts confiscated. Despite these developments, the Ethiopian government has yet to address the reported misallocation of funds.
Ambassador Meles Alem, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded a month ago, refuting claims that “the incident would not lead to the closure of the AFDB’s Ethiopian office or strain the relationship between Ethiopia and the bank.
However, there has been no official statement from Ethiopia regarding the motive behind the assault by security forces on AFDB staff in Addis Ababa.
Established in 1963 in Khartoum, Sudan, the African Development Bank is a continental institution created by the Organization of African Unity.
Since the opening of its Ethiopian branch in 1967, the bank has played a crucial role in providing financial support for Ethiopia’s infrastructure, agriculture, and various development projects.
