The challenging journey between partner's and ANCEFA for the last two years that all partners should know.
Tessema Bekele
Tel. 251-911226260 -Cell
251-116476181
email:emmanuel.eth@ethionet.
Vision:EDA envisions bright future and protection for Ethiopian children.
We work for Children, for Change and Development!
but the one most responsive to CHANGE"
Tessema Bekele
Dear friends,
As a board member of ANCEFA, we came across through different challenges since
today. I believe and pretty sure we will not repeat the same route for the rest
of our time with partners in the future.I have attached few messages from GCE
for you to read and understand
our situation in year 2015.
Thanks for taking your time to read and reflect. I have been contemplating on
the differences we have in the board in relation to the position of the contact
of ANCEFA Regional Coordinator and I have been trying to find the root cause in
order to find a lasting
solution. I have been inspired by the writings of a number of people from
the national coalitions and especially my dear friend from Cameroon, Mr. Baloma.
Mr Baloma asked the question: what is wrong with ANCEFA Board? This friend,
whom I believe has an African mentality, has even suggested that we try to
engage the partners. Indeed some people have made reference to partners’ roles
in the decisions and governance in
ANCEFA. In this light, I believe that partners could be part of our problem and
could also be part of our solution.
When reflecting on this, I have come to think that not all partnerscould be
involved in the troubles of ANCEFA. In my view, we need to put GCE on the spot
and ask them to clear their name. Why am I pointing to GCE? I am saying this
because I have information to the
extent that some GCE members of staff have been involved in meddling in ANCEFA
affairs especially as regards the issue of Regional Coordinator.
I have evidence of correspondences from GCE staff and partners which suggests
that while in Addis our Chairperson was forced to act in disregard of ANCEFA
procedures and without the need to have consensus in the board on issue of
regional coordinator due to pressure from
GCE. Before our board meeting in Addis, which ended abruptly, we had been
meeting GCE on possible extension of the CSEF project in Africa from 2016 and
2018. Fortunately, we agreed that there be this extension, and a draft contract
between GCE and ANCEFA has been
prepared, and according to the roadmap with GCE, this contract will be signed
by the end of first quarter of 2016.
My friends, Mr. Chairperson’s proposal to the board was that when the coordinator’s
contract ends on 29 February 2016, ANCEFA should not renew his contract but
should advertise the position and given everyone including Limbani to apply.
These views are reflected in the
Chair‘s letter of information which he shared to the public on 10th February
2016 as well as reflected in his letter addressed to Limbani after the board
meeting in Addis.
The attached correspondence on 9th August 2015 to ANCEFA Partners forum from a
person called Kara who was recruited by GCE as CSEF Project Officer for Africa,
and was supervised by Mr. Wolfgang (GCE),reflects the same message of the
Chairperson.
Similarly, this message is contained in the notes of ANCEFA Partners forum on
27th August 2015 (attached). This meeting was coordinated by GCE officers, Kara
and Wolfgang and attendees included two GCE board members (Monique and Helle)
as well as representatives of partners such as IBIS, OSISA and ActionAid. Part
of the notes related to recruitment of ANCEFA regional coordinator was that
“the 2 year RC contract is up in Feb 2016. New recruitment should help support
the strongest possible Ancefa. Note that this is not a “re”-recruitment as the
term has ended. (It is) unclear what is stated in current RC contract, and if
there are any complications for new recruitment at end of current contract
period. Wolfgang to investigate”. Although this meeting was attended by various
partners of ANCEFA, I believe
that GCE was influential in the outcomes and recommendations.
Colleagues, on 9th November 2015, I was present in the meeting with Partners
prior to ANCEFA General Assembly (see the notes attached). That meeting was
attended by GCE, IBIS, OSISA and GIZ. In that meeting partners recognized that
they were too much meddling in internal affairs of ANCEFA especially in relation
to recruitment of Regional Coordinator, but according to the notes form the
meeting, they resolved not to meddle on such matters as those matters were responsibilities
of the board. In that meeting, I can testify the body
language of Kara and Wolfgang showed that they were not happy with the outcomes.
Colleagues, I have a strong feeling that before ANCEFA Board meeting in Addis,
GCE personnel were involved in mobilizing and putting pressure on the
Chairperson, Mr. Dembele (and some of the members of the Board), to ensure that
the wishes of GCE on issue of recruitment of regional coordinator were upheld.
I believe this was the case because GCE saw the Chairperson as an ally. I think
like this because in October 2014 Mr. Dembele based on the letter he wrote to
ANCEFA board on 22 October 2014, mobilized francophone coalitions from West and
Central Africa to choose an option for the board of ANCEFA to re-launch the
recruitment of ANCEFA Regional Coordinator, after pressure from the partners
(namely GCE).
One major issue that GCE and partners have mentioned as a condition for ANCEFA
Regional Coordinator is that they want the Coordinator to be bi-lingual (in
French and English) and they were seeing this as a shortfall in the current
coordinator. Meanwhile, during the time I
have served in ANCEFA board, there is no coalition that has failed to perform
his duties or failed to access funds from CSEF Project because ANCEFA Regional
coordinator is not bi-lingual. In addition, no partner has complained to ANCEFA
Board that Mr. Limbani is failing to communicate with them because of his
inability to speak in French or Portuguese. On the contrary, Mr. Baloma of
Cameroon has attested that under his leadership Mr. Limbani helped coalitions
to grow. GCE itself has recruited a Global Coordinator who does not speak
French and Portuguese, but this does not mean that he is failing to deliver in his
work.
Finally, I wish to inform everyone that Mr. Wolfgang applied for the position
of ANCEFA Regional Coordinator towards the end of 2013. This can be verified
through documentation including his application which the board is keeping.
After ANCEFA Board appointed Mr. Limbani in March 2014, Mr. Wolfgang has led
GCE staff and other partners in condemning ANCEFA Board for wrongful and illegitimate
appointment and also asking the board to re-launch the recruitment of the
regional coordinator. Madam Kara is the one who was recruited by GCE team (including
Mr. Wolfgang) and her supervisor was Mr. Wolfgang. On 9th
August 2015, Madam Kara wrote the partners forum on issue of regional partners.
I have always seen that there is a conflict of interest involving the members
of staff of GCE on issue of ANCEFA Regional coordinator.
In conclusion, I see a heavy hand of GCE in the way our Board Chair is bulldozing
on the issue of the contract of the Regional Coordinator. I see no objectivity
in his actions and decisions. I have strong belief that the new agreement on
CSEF project made in Addis Ababa, might have been conditioned on the Chair
secretly agreeing with GCE on the process of the recruitment of regional
coordinator. I therefore ask both GCE and our ANCEFA Board Chair to clear
themselves from this point of view.
I wish to underline that as long as partners use the power of their money to
force ANCEFA board to make decisions, then the problems being faced in ANCEFA,
such as the current stand-off on the regional coordinator, will not end. Let
solutions for Africa come from
Africans, without being pushed by partners. I also believe that making decisions
based on language bias, will divide and destabilize ANCEFA forever. In fact
international law
discourages discrimination of any kind including on basis of language, race or
gender. This problem of language discrimination will also make ANCEFA lose a
lot of talented staff who are making contributions towards its growth and
development. It is a pity that in ANCEFA some individuals or groups want to use
language as a condition for recruiting ANCEFA Regional Coordinator. I agree
with my colleague Baloma that we are all Africans, and language should not be a
tool to divide Africa. In fact the languages that are dividing us are all
foreign, they are not African.
Friends, I believe that I am liberated for writing what I believe is the truth,
which is supported by written evidence. Whatever the next steps that the ANCEFA
Chairperson (Mr. Dembele) takes or whatever decisions he makes, or whether he
decides not to take action after many have asked him to reconsider his actions,
I believe that the truth shall always prevail.
I thank you!
Tel. 251-911226260 -Cell
251-116476181
email:emmanuel.eth@ethionet.
Vision:EDA envisions bright future and protection for Ethiopian children.
We work for Children, for Change and Development!
but the one most responsive to CHANGE"