The ruling party in Ethiopia is going ahead with the destruction of 3,012 hectares of forestry land in the Gambela region over the objection of local population, officials, and environmental groups .
The land has been leased to an Indian company for 70 years to be used for growing tea. The beneficiaries of such investment are only members of the ruling party and the foreign investors, while the people are left with destroyed land.
Local residents and their representatives led by Ato Tamiru Ambelo have appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to save the forests in Gambela. Even the figure head president, Girma Woldegiorgis, has expressed opposition to the plan. The Ministry, however, rejected their appeal saying that “we cannot just hold on to the forests.”
Cutting down Ethiopian forests to grow tea while the U.N. is currently sending out an emergency food aid alert on behalf of 2.8 million people in Ethiopia is beyond comprehension.
Ato Tamiru Amelo is making an appeal to all Ethiopians in the Diaspora and the international community to help him and his people save their land and forests from destruction by the Meles regime.