Medical aid group pulls out of Ethiopia's Fik
region after government harassment
2008-07-10
14:44:13 -
GENEVA (AP) - The aid group Medecins Sans
Frontieres says it is pulling out of
Ethiopia's Fik region because of persistent
government harassment.
MSF representative Hugues Robert says staff
members have been denied work permits and
detained without reason.
Robert says Thursday's decision means that
the group's efforts to provide medical care
to ethnic Somali inhabitants in the Fik
region are on hold indefinitely. The group
also is known as Doctors Without Borders.
Ethnic Somalis have been fighting for
greater autonomy or independence since
Ethiopia seized the eastern region of Ogaden
in a war with Somalia 30 years ago.