The Ethiopian government has tightened restrictions on sharing information about the war in the north of the country. Details of military maneuvers or combat fronts can only be published if provided by the military, according to a statement released on Thursday night (25).
It is still unclear how the rule will impact journalists and local media that cover the conflict in the Tigre region and what the consequences would be for those who publish information provided by non-governmental sources.
Asked by the Reuters news agency about the matter, the Ethiopian media regulator did not respond. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum, however, said the media is included in the list of entities prohibited from disseminating information about the front’s activities, but did not provide further details.
Doubts heighten fears that the government directive will stifle press freedom in the country, which has already been weakened. Although Prime Minister Ahmed lifted media bans when he took office in 2018, independent organizations signal that the environment for the free press has diminished since the start of the war.
At least 38 journalists and media workers have been detained since the beginning of last year, according to a Reuters count. Asked about the arrests, the media regulator said that “freedom of expression and protection of the press are sacred values that are enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution.”
The conflict in the Tigre region between government forces and the TPLF (People’s Liberation Front of Tigre) started a year ago and has unleashed a wave of internally displaced persons, in addition to the deterioration of the economic and social crises. Over the period, an estimated 2 million people left their homes.
The country’s government, also criticized by the international community, declared a six-month national state of emergency earlier this month. Prime Minister Ahmed urged the population to take up arms to defend the country against the advancing TPLF, and tens of thousands took to the streets of the capital Addis Ababa to support the government and criticize outside interference, especially from the United States.
Not only the population, but also the government raised the tone in relation to the White House. Two days after the US embassy in the country urged its citizens to maintain vigilance due to the “continuous possibility of terrorist attacks in Ethiopia”, Ethiopian Minister of State Kebede Dessisa said that Washington should stop “disseminating false and shameful news”.
Also on Thursday, dozens of protesters gathered in front of the US diplomatic representation building with banners that said “interference is undemocratic” and “the truth wins”.
Tension also builds on the battlefield. Images released by state media this week show Prime Minister Ahmed wearing a military uniform on the front lines with the army. He announced, on Monday night (22), that he was heading north.
Other prominent figures in the country have also promised to join the fighters. The main name is that of Olympic gold medalist and national hero Haile Gebrselassie, 48. The retired athlete made the announcement shortly after learning that Ahmed would go to war.
A United Nations study released on Friday (26) shows that more than 9 million people in the northern part of the country currently need food aid. Malnutrition is also on the rise and affects between 16% and 28% of children, and around 50% of pregnant and lactating women are malnourished in Tigre.
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