Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi decried a BBC report alleging that most of the USD100 million foreign aid raised for famine-stricken northern Ethiopia in 1985 was spent on weapons.
Zenawi, once a leader of the rebel Tigrean People’s Liberation Front that held Ethiopia’s northern region at the time, said the BCC report was a “complete lie” and “just ridiculous.” He said rebels then fighting the army of the Mengistu dictatorship did not need to purchase arms as they recovered enough weapons from fleeing enemy troops.
The BBC has reported that 95 percent of Ethiopia aid raised through Live Aid, a global famine relief concert, and other aid sources were diverted to arms purchases, citing a narration by a former TPLF commander.