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Audit Reveals Opaque Suspensions and Lax Oversight by Civil Society Authority

The Reporter (Amharic) · 8 hours ago · Read the Full Story on The Reporter (Amharic)
Audit Reveals Opaque Suspensions and Lax Oversight by Civil Society Authority
AI SUMMARY

A federal audit report reveals that the Authority for Civil Society Organizations has been suspending and closing organizations without following proper administrative procedures, obtaining board approval, or conducting adequate oversight.

  • The Federal Auditor General's report covering 2024/25 and early 2025/26 revealed that the Authority for Civil Society Organizations suspends and closes registered groups without prior warnings or board approval.
  • The Authority routinely bypasses mandated administrative procedures such as written warnings, formal notices, and board notification when issuing suspension orders.
  • Several organizations, including the Somali Journalists Syndicate, the Alliance for International Medical Action, the Human Rights Council, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center, faced opaque and non-procedural suspensions.
  • The Authority bypassed transparent public bidding processes for civil society funding in 2024/25, instead distributing 9 million Birr to four organizations based solely on leadership discretion.
  • Numerous registered development associations, including Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, and Tigray development associations, were found operating outside of their registered regional jurisdictions.
  • Out of 1,509 organizations that should have been closed for failing to re-register in 2025/26, about 600 could not be located at their registered addresses during field inspections.
  • Although mandated to register over 5,000 organizations annually, the Authority registered only 14 in 2023/24, seven in 2024/25, and two in the first quarter of 2025/26, with only 12 percent completing asset registration.
  • The Authority's board has not held a meeting since April 2024, leaving suspended organizations unable to appeal their cases.
Read the Full Story on The Reporter (Amharic)
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