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LONDON (AP) - Ethiopia on Wednesday ordered three private American groups that promote democracy to cease operations and gave their foreign staff 48 hours to leave, officials with two of the groups said.
Field missions from the groups — the National Democratic Institute, the International Republic Institute and IFES — were in Ethiopia helping prepare the Horn of Africa nation for May 15 general elections.
Foreign staff from all three were called to the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and told by Ethiopian authorities they had two days to leave, officials from two of the groups said. The Ethiopians, the officials said, told the groups they were being kicked out because they were not properly accredited. Both officials said their groups had earlier applied for accreditation.
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