Ethiopia Detains Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 5 September 2025 a press release titled "Ethiopian Police Detain 2 Sheger FM Journalists, Force Station to Delete Report."

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Ethiopian authorities detained 2 FM radio journalists and forced the station to remove a report on widespread poor working conditions of healthcare workers.

Zambia Gags Documentary Critical of Chinese Investment

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 6 June 2025 a press release titled "Zambia Court Blocks Film Investigating Chinese Businesses."  

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia sued a privately-owned news outlet and obtained a gag order from the Lusaka High Court to prevent airing of a documentary titled "Chinese investment in Zambia: the good, the bad, and the dangerous."  The Chinese Chamber of Commerce said the documentary disparages and demeans Chinese investment in Zambia.    

Eritrea Singled Out by Human Rights Organizations for Jailing Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 29 May 2025 a press release titled "CPJ, 31 Others Call for UN Scrutiny of Eritrea's Human Rights Record."

As of 1 December 2024, Eritrea remained the worst jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, with 16 behind bars without charge or trial.  The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 31 other non-governmental organizations calling on the UN Human Rights Council to condemn grave human rights violations in Eritrea.   

Somalia Cracks Down on Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 15 May 2025 a press release titled "Alarming Escalation: At Least 41 Journalists Targeted since March in Somalia."

Somali security personnel have arrested, assaulted, or harassed at least 41 private media journalists since mid-March.  The crackdown follows a deteriorating security situation caused by the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.  

Ethiopia Arrests More Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 16 May 2025 a press release titled "7 Journalist Arrests in a Month as Ethiopia Quashes Independence of Media Regulator."

Ethiopia arrested at least 7 journalists during April as the government increased its power over the press.  Eritrea and Ethiopia had the two worst records in 2024 in Sub-Saharan Africa for the number of journalists in jail.  

Ethiopian Journalists Detained Under Antiterrorism Law

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 9 April 2025 a bulletin titled "At Least 7 Journalists Detained in Ethiopia on Terror Allegations."

Police arrested at least 7 journalists with the privately owned Ethiopia Broadcasting Service (EBS) over what authorities said was a fabricated documentary.  The EBS founder apologized for airing the fabricated allegation.  The journalists' lawyers said the editorial lapses should be addressed under Ethiopia's media law, not its antiterrorism legislation.  

South Sudan Shuts Down Social Media

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 24 January 2025 a press release titled "South Sudan Blocks Social Media Amid Unrest."

The government of South Sudan has directed all internet service providers to block access to all social media accounts for a minimum of 30 days.

Ethiopian Journalists in Exile

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 18 June 2024 an article titled "Fleeing Prolonged Media Crackdown, Ethiopian Journalists Struggle in Exile."

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that it is aware of at least 54 Ethiopian journalists and media workers who have gone into exile since 2020.  This article focuses on Tesfa Alem-Tekle, Woldegiorgis Ghebrehiwet Teklay, Belete Kassa, Yayesew Shimelis, and Guyo Wariyo.  

Another Ethiopian Journalist in Detention

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 4 December 2023 a press release titled "Ethiopian Authorities Detain Ethio News Chief Editor Belay Manaye without Charge."

Arrested by police on 13 November, Belay Manaye, chief editor of Ethio News, remains in detention without an explanation from Ethiopian authorities.  Belay has extensively covered the conflict in Amhara region.  

Committee to Protect Journalists Calls for Release of Three Ethiopian Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 5 October a press release titled "Three Journalists Detained in Ethiopia, Transferred to Military Camp."

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Ethiopian authorities to release 3 journalists detained in late August and early September: Tewodros Zerfu with Yegna TV and Menelik Television; Nigussie Berhanu, co-host of Yegna Forum; and Yehualashet Zerihun, program director at Tirita 97.6 FM.  

Ethiopia's Crackdown on Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 1 August 2022 a commentary titled "Journalists Face Growing Hostility as Ethiopia's Civil War Persists" by Muthoki Mumo.  

According to the Committe to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ethiopia now ranks with Eritrea as sub-Saharan Africa's worst jailer of journalists.  CPJ has documented the arrest of at least 63 journalists and media workers since November 4, 2020, the outbreak of civil war, at least eight of whom remain detained as of August 1, 2022.  

Eritrea Called Out on Jailing of Journalists

 The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined other human rights organizations in calling for accountability of 16 journalists jailed in Eritrea.

Ethiopia Ranks High in Journalists under Arrest

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 16 December 2021 an article titled "Ethiopia Uses Emergency Law to Ramp Up Arrests of Journalists."

Ethiopian authorities have arrested at least 14 journalists since declaring a state of emergency on 2 November.  The only country in Sub-Saharan Africa with more journalists under arrest is Eritrea.  

In a related story, Aljazeera published on 16 December 2021 an article titled "Ethiopia Arrests Associated Press Freelance Journalist."

Ethiopia: International Coverage of Situation in Tigray Off to Rocky Start

 The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 1 March 2021 a statement titled "Ethiopian Military Detains BBC Reporter, Translators for AFP and FT."

The Ethiopian prime minister's office announced on 24 February that it had invited journalists from seven international media outlets, including the Agence France Presse (AFP), Financial Times (FT), and BBC to report on the conflict in Tigray Region.  On 27 February, the military arrested in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Region, two Ethiopian translators with AFP and a member of the FT news crew.  On 1 March, they arrested an Ethiopian reporter with the BBC's Tigrinya-language service.  

Is Press Censorship Returning to Ethiopia?

The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 9 July 2019 a commentary titled "In Era of Reform, Ethiopia Still Reverts To Old Tactics To Censor Press" by Muthoki Mumo.

Following the selection of Abiy Ahmed as Ethiopia's prime minister the country made great strides towards improving press freedom. The recent coup attempt was followed by an internet blackout and the arrest of several journalists. This raises the question whether Ethiopia is returning to past practices of reigning in the press.

Eritrea and Ethiopia among Top Five Jailers of Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists released its list of journalists jailed worldwide as of 1 December 2016. Turkey heads the list with 81 journalists in jail followed by China with 38. Egypt is third with 25. Eritrea and Ethiopia round out the top five with 17 and 16 respectively.

Journalism's Global Impunity Index

The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 8 October 2015 its 2015 Global Impunity Index, or list of 14 countries that account for the most journalists who are slain and the killers go free.  Somalia replaced Iraq in the top position.  South Sudan was number 5 and Nigeria number 13.

10 Most Censored Countries: Horn Fares Poorly

The Committee to Protect Journalists released in April 2015 its list of 10 most censored countries.  The Horn of Africa fared poorly.  Eritrea was at the top of the list and Ethiopia in number four position.  Others on the list were North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Myanmar, and Cuba.

Ethiopia, the United States and Opening Political Space

The Ethiopian English-language newspaper Capital published on 17 March 2014 a commentary titled "Testing the Waters Washington Presses Ethiopia for Political Reform," by Kirubel Tadesse.  The article focuses on the most recent State Department human rights report on Ethiopia and reaction to it by the Ethiopian government and others, myself included. 

Ethiopia and the Media

Writing for Good Governance Africa in a piece titled "Ethiopia's Hushed Voices," Daniel Howden underscored the problems journalists face in Ethiopia.  He held out hope that the sentence of Eskinder Nega will be commuted.