it?

Nestle demands a compensation of 4,3 million dollars (I converted that from Norwegian money, so it might be a few off) from one of the poorest countries of the world. A country which now is fighting the worst hunger of twenty years.

Ethiopia has always suffered from hunger and the government never took care of it. Instead, they prefered constant fighting.

The money is supposed to compensate for the governement taking over an Ethiopian company back in 1975. Nestle bought the mothercompany to the nationalized company elleven years afterwards, in 1986. This has therefore become a matter of principle for the foodproducer, writes the Guardian.

The right of the ownership is one of the fundamental rights. Just like the freedom of speech etc. Period. If Etiopian government wanted to size control over the factory, it should have paid a compensation. Instead they decided to steal. Nestle's claim is perfectly understandable.

-It is good for foreign investment in developing countries that such conflicts are resolved according to international law, says a representative of Nestle, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe to the Newspaper.

Couldn't agree with him more.

The sum Nestle demands is enought to feed a million people for a month. So says Oxfam, which has involved itself in the matter. They have started a protest on the internet.

This is none of Oxfam's businness. If they had 51% of shares in Nestle they could decide on the matter.

Ethiopias prime minister, Meles Zenawi, has earlier stated that six million people in the countri are in need of emergency aid in the form of food, and that the number might rise to 15 million.

Then the government should take actions that would eventually lead to eliminating the hunger. I can't recall Ethipian government trying to fight the hunger in the last 20 years. Instead they chose to start a war and purchase military equipment.

The government has offered a settlement where they pay a fourth of the original demand, something Nestle has refused.

Nestle is now moving, and has agreed to discussing the claim. They now say they are flexible on the size of the demand. In addition, they say the money will now go back to investments in the country and that some of the money will be given back in the form of emergency aid.

That's the best solution. The money invested by an independent company will not be wasted by the corrupted Ethiopian government and the people will have work.

Oxfam still thinks the company should completely dismiss the claim, and therefore continues its protests.

F*ck Oxfam. I don't interfere with their actions and they have no right to mess with Nestle-Ethiopia case.

Needless to say, I am mad and will continue to boicott NEstle

Well, I bet you are buying some other products made by a similar company or maybe even by Nestle. You just don't know it.

PS. If you want to understand Ethiopia better, I honestly recommend a book by Ryszard Kapuscinski called "The Emperor" (Norwegian title "Keisaren" published by Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1986) - a real masterpiece. You ma also want to try his "Shah of Shahs", which is about Iran (Norwegian "Sjahen", Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1988 ). Or you just read any book by him. Any.

Ryszard Kapuscinski is one of my favourite journalists and a wonderful, absolutely wonderful writer.