General

Do they know the money was stolen?

Investigation reveals money from Ethiopian famine relief campaign was used to buy guns

Did you buy a copy of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1984 or otherwise donate to the massive Ethiopian famine relief campaign that year? According to an investigation by the BBC, your money might have been used to buy guns and sacks of sand. An investigation by the BBC has revealed that rebel leaders then fighting the Ethiopian government posed as grain merchants when meeting with charity workers. They then sold the aid workers bags of sand hidden under a top layer of grain, and used the money they received in return to buy weapons. One rebel leader estimated that $100 million from Western governments and charities—including the Band Aid campaign—was stolen to fund a war.

BBC News

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