Ethiopia's government would be able to support the country's development even if donors cut assistance, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was quoted as saying on Saturday, Reuters reported. Meles was speaking 10 days after Britain said it would block 50 million pounds ($89 million) in budget support because of concerns about governance and human rights after a deadly crackdown on post-election demonstrations. Britain said it would re-direct the funds to humanitarian aid in donor-dependent Ethiopia. Western donors currently fund about 10 percent of the budget in sub-Saharan Africa's second most populous country. "The government has the capacity to run regular activities and main development programmes of the country through its own expenditure, should any serious measures be taken by development partners," the Ethiopian Herald quoted Meles as saying.
