Abiy: Ethiopia must stop food aid to avoid pressure

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the country needs to stop receiving food aid to avoid foreign pressure on the government, state-owned Ethiopia Television (ETV) has reported.

"If we make sure that this thing called wheat [food aid] does not enter Ethiopia, 70% of Ethiopia's problems will be solved.

"Ethiopia's problem is wheat aid. With wheat aid comes diseases. With wheat aid come many things, many consequences. If we stop it, many of the problems will be solved," Mr Abiy said.

The prime minister was speaking during a visit to a wheat farm in Oromia region.

Ethiopia, which is among major aid recipient countries, is facing increasing pressure from some Western governments over the conflict in its northern Tigray region, where millions are at risk of starvation.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Photo: AFP