Medecins Sans Frontieres has urged France's new foreign minister to stop overusing the name of the aid group he co-founded because donors were worried about its independence. "Hold me, Jean-Michel! He's said our name again!" | Kouchner was quick to reiterate he would stay true to his beliefs, pointing to his roots with MSF (Doctors Without Borders), a Nobel Peace Prize-winning aid agency he helped found in 1971 and left in dispute over its direction few years later.
But Jean-Herve Bradol, head of the French section of MSF, said Kouchner's frequent referral to MSF was not helping the organisation's cause, adding some donors were confused over Kouchner's political message and the group's objectives. "We have received a lot of messages from donors who are worried about whether his acceptance of this post is in line with what MSF stands for," Bradol told Reuters in an interview. "Mr Kouchner actively maintains an ambiguity because in practically all his speeches, he refers to the history of MSF and his role in MSF ... We think there's a misuse of the brand."
MSF, which provides emergency medical assistance, largely finances its activities through private donations. Bradol said it was important for MSF to proclaim its independence and neutrality as a humanitarian organisation and not to become associated with Kouchner's policies.
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