Sports federations, including the Ethiopian Olympic Committee, have formally contested the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ authority to issue directives concerning their establishment and operations, submitting written responses as requested by April 8, 2025.

The federations argue that such mandates fall under the jurisdiction of their respective general assemblies.

The federations have submitted their comments to the Ministry of Culture and Sports regarding the revised directive on the establishment and governance of national federations. The Ministry had issued Directive No. 907/2022 and invited 32 national sports federations to review and provide written feedback on specific articles of the draft directive by April 8, 2025.

In their submissions, several federations, including the Ethiopian Olympic Committee, stated that the Ministry lacks the authority to issue binding directives for national federations. They maintained that decisions and directives should originate from the general assemblies of each federation, depending on the type of sport involved. The federations asserted that the role of the Ministry should be limited to support and oversight functions.

According to documents reviewed by this outlet, the Ministry’s position contrasts with a statement made seven years earlier by the former Ministry of Youth and Sports. In a letter dated December 8, 2017, addressing the Ethiopian Football Federation, the former Ministry explicitly stated that it could not issue directives governing the establishment of sports federations, reads the document.

The letter referred to Article 2, Sub-section 2 of the FIFA Electoral Code, which states that government laws shall not apply to matters related to the elections of sports federations. It further emphasized that the Ministry must not interfere in the electoral affairs of sports bodies, including the football federation.

The same letter also referenced Article 35, Sub-section 2 of Directive No. 1-2003, which pertains to the establishment of associations.

The directive had suggested that “an executive committee member shall serve as a member in only one sports federation in which they were elected for one election term.” However, the Ministry clarified that this was merely a recommendation and not a mandatory requirement imposed by law.

Despite this stance, the Ministry has now advanced a revised approach. Directive No. 907/2022, issued by the Ministry, outlines the structure and procedures for establishing national sports federations. The Ministry stated it collected feedback from discussions and meetings and is working to revise the directive accordingly.

Sports federations were instructed to provide written input identifying which parts of the draft directive should be revised. This submission process was to be completed by April 8, 2025, following the federations’ thorough review of the articles in question.