Now Ethiopia's PM says Band Aid 40 could 'do more harm than good' after Ed Sheeran and others criticised it for fuelling 'pity rather than partnership'
Ethiopia's prime minister has warned that a new version of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? could do more harm than good - after Ed Sheeran and other critics laid into the charity single.
Abiy Ahmed has intervened in the controversy over the 40th anniversary rerelease of the track which its co-writer Bob Geldof has been forced to defend.
The song, which first topped the charts in 1984, has been accused of fuelling 'pity rather than partnership' while promoting harmful stereotypes about Africa.
Sheeran revealed last week his unhappiness about his vocals being used in a new rerecording which is being officially released this week.
He said he would have 'respectfully declined' permission for re-use of his contribution to the 30th anniversary production from 2014 - while other critics have included Lily Allen and Damon Albarn.
And now his stance appears to have been backed by Mr Ahmed, who was elected as Ethiopia's PM in 2018 and won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.
It was the devastating famine in Ethiopia which inspired Geldof to launch Band Aid in 1984, writing Do They Know It's Christmas? alongside Ultravox frontman Midge Ure and then organising the fundraising Live Aid concerts staged in July 1985.
But the country's leader has condemned the anniversary rerelease for focusing memories again on Ethiopia's dark days when more than 1million people starved.
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