Nairobi/Addis Ababa - Ethiopia has come under fire for passing a bill that imposes limitations on the work of aid agencies related to human rights.

Parliament on Tuesday voted through the bill, which bans foreign agencies from operating in the fields of human rights, gender equality, children's and disabled persons' rights, conflict resolution and criminal justice issues.

Local charities that receive more than 10 per cent of their funding from abroad will also face these restrictions.

Opposition MPs and local charities attacked the bill, which they see as an attempt by the regime to clamp down on opposition.

Amnesty International said the bill was an attempt to "to conceal human rights violations, stifle critics and prevent public protest of its actions ahead of expected elections in 2010."

Ethiopia, one of the world's biggest recipients of aid, is facing a potential famine in many parts of the country and is also accused of broad human rights' violations.

The government has been accused of burning villages and murdering civilians in the Ogaden region, where ethnic Somalis are struggling for independence.

Amnesty urged donor governments to condemn the legislation and to monitor its impact on human rights organizations operating in the country.

The US, which sees Ethiopia as a key ally in its fight against Islamic militants in East Africa, has protested the bill to little effect. (dpa)