Ethiopia’s Proposed Civil Society Law Raises Alarms Over Shrinking Civic Space

July 30, 2025
The Habesha News Desk

A new draft law from the Ethiopian government is raising serious concern among human rights advocates and civil society organizations. The proposed amendments to Ethiopia’s civil society legislation would significantly expand federal control over NGOs and advocacy groups, posing a major threat to freedom of association, expression, and independent civil engagement.

According to a July 29, 2025 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the draft law would empower the federal Civil Society Organizations Authority to suspend, investigate, or dissolve groups for vaguely defined violations. The proposal also includes provisions that would allow authorities to intervene in organizations’ internal operations, such as leadership decisions and funding sources. Critics warn that this could be used to target dissenting voices or watchdog groups that challenge government narratives or expose abuse.

Ethiopia has made some strides since 2019 in loosening restrictions on civil society, but recent years have seen a sharp regression in political openness. Journalists, opposition figures, and human rights defenders have reported harassment, intimidation, and arrests. The current legal reforms, if passed, would mark a further step away from democratic accountability.

Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the bill’s ambiguous language leaves wide room for abuse and selective enforcement. If enacted, it would undermine grassroots activism, humanitarian work, and peaceful advocacy—at a time when Ethiopia faces complex crises, including internal conflict, displacement, and growing food insecurity.

The organization is calling on Ethiopian authorities to reconsider the amendments, consult with civil society, and ensure that any reforms uphold international human rights standards rather than suppress vital civic voices.

🔗 Read the full HRW report here: Human Rights Watch – Ethiopia: Proposed Legal Changes Threaten Civil Society

Proposed Amendments: What They Would Change

1. Board Composition and Oversight Control

• The governing board of the Civil Society Organizations Authority (ACSO) would shrink from 11 to 7 members.

• Five seats (including the chairperson) would be appointed directly by the Ministry of Justice, significantly reducing civil society representation to just one expert member. Wikipedia+9Human Rights Watch+9Addis Standard+9FIDH+4Addis Standard+4observatoryfordefenders.org+4

• The current model (under the 2019 law) reserved multiple seats for women’s rights, disability, and other civil society representatives. Human Rights WatchINCLUDE Platform

2. Suspension, Dissolution & National Security Powers

• Organizations can be denied registration, suspended, or dissolved based on a vague notion of “threat to national security”, without judicial oversight or protections. Human Rights Watch+1observatoryfordefenders.org+1

• The draft allows suspension based on mere suspicion, with no verified legal violation required, and extends suspension beyond current limits—from 3 to 6 months, including asset freezes. Human Rights Watch+1Addis Standard+1

3. Ban on Foreign and Diaspora Funding for Political Work

• Foreign and diaspora-funded CSOs, as well as domestic groups receiving foreign support, would be explicitly prohibited from engaging in:

  • political advocacy,

  • voter education,

  • election monitoring, and

  • election-related activities.

• The term “political advocacy” is undefined, enabling broad interpretation. reddit.com+15Human Rights Watch+15INCLUDE Platform+15

4. Registration & Reporting Burdens

• CSOs must submit reports on receiving any property within 15 days, and seek prior approval to:

  • open bank accounts,

  • receive funds,

  • or borrow money.

• Organizations must renew their licenses every four years and face revocation for minor procedural non‑compliance. Addis Standard+6Human Rights Watch+6observatoryfordefenders.org+6

5. Asset Freezes & Administrative Sanctions

• ACSO can issue administrative penalties—even to individuals—on vague grounds, and freeze accounts during suspension or investigations. observatoryfordefenders.orgAddis Standard

• Criminal penalties mirror older laws—minor violations can land NGO leaders in jail for up to three to five years. Human Rights Watchobservatoryfordefenders.org

6. Elimination of Judicial Appeal

• Decisions by ACSO (e.g., suspension or denial) are final.

• Civil society actors lose the existing right to appeal decisions in federal courts—they can only direct complaints to the Authority board. FIDH+6Addis Standard+6Human Rights Watch+6

 Impact & Risks

Shrinking Civic Space

These changes replicate elements of the repressive 2009 CSO law, rolling back reforms that expanded freedoms under the 2019 Proclamation. Wikipedia+2Human Rights Watch+2Addis Standard+2

Targeting of Democratic Engagement

Banning election-related work funded externally—and the vague definitions—could be used to paralyze independent organizations participating in upcoming 2026 elections. Human Rights WatchAddis StandardAddis Standard

Selective Enforcement

The ill-defined clauses and administrative discretion invite arbitrary targeting. Civil society organizations face disproportionate risk, especially grassroots groups with limited administrative capacity. Over 1,500 CSOs were reportedly closed in 2024 for trivial violations. observatoryfordefenders.org

Donor Funding Freeze

Restrictions on international support—financial or technical—for political or advocacy work would sever lifelines to critical sectors of civil society, impacting both capacity and independence.

Summary Table

Why It Matters

The proposed amendments would effectively dismantle the modest freedoms and independent civil society space that emerged since 2019. Amnesty International, FIDH‑OMCT, Human Rights Watch, and Addis Standard have strongly condemned the draft, warning that it threatens fundamental democratic principles and violates Ethiopia’s constitutional and international obligations.