Censorship in Runup to Ethiopia's Elections

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 29 May 2026 an article titled "'Under the Shadow of Fear': Censorship Is Ethiopia's Real Election Story, Journalists Say."

Intimidation of the press is becoming the norm in the runup to Ethiopia's national elections.  Numerous reporters have experienced a variety of challenges as they attempt to cover the elections. 

China's Role in Cancellation of International Conference in Zambia

 Skift, a digital media company and travel website, posted on 1 May 2026 an article titled "China Quietly Cancels a Digital Rights Summit in Africa" by Miguel Neves.  

Evidence is mounting that Beijing was behind Zambia's decision to cancel at the last minute RightsCon 2026 involving an estimated 2,000 international participants from over 150 countries.  RightsCon bills itself as the "world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age."

Beijing's concern was apparently attendance by civil society representatives from Taiwan.  The conference was scheduled to be held at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka.  China granted Zambia $30 million in 2022 to expand the facility, giving it considerable leverage to influence the cancellation of the summit by the government of Zambia.  

Zambia Censors International Conference on Censorship: China's Influence?

 The Zambian Observer published on 30 April 2026 an article titled "President Hichilema Cancels World's Largest Digital Rights Conference."

Zambia cancelled at the last minute the world's largest conference (2,000 delegates) on human rights in the digital age organized by Access Now, RightsCon scheduled for May 5-8 in Lusaka.  A Zambian official said the "postponement" of the conference was "essential to ensure full alignment with Zambia's national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations."

News Diggers published on 30 April 2026 an article titled "Govt Cancels RightsCon Summit Citing Security Concerns on Some Delegates" by Mwenya Mofya.

In 2025, the conference took place in Taiwan.  The News Diggers account reported that the conference was cancelled because the program included Taiwanese delegates who could potentially speak ill of China at a venue donated by the Chinese government.  

Journalists Organization Calls on Ethiopia to Reinstate Reuters Staff

 The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 16 February 2026 a news release titled "Ethiopia Revokes Journalists' Accreditation Following Investigative Report."

The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Ethiopian authorities to restore the accreditation of 3 Reuters journalists who were banned from reporting following an in-depth report that Ethiopia was secretly training forces to fight on behalf of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.  

China Reshapes Africa's Media Landscape

 The blog for the SOAS China Institute at the University of London published on 30 July 2025 a commentary titled "How China Is Reshaping Africa's Information and Media Landscape" by Daouda Cisse, Gaston Berger University in Senegal.  

Chinese state media outlets like CGTN, Xinhua, and China Daily are now common features in African media spaces.  Beijing is helping to reshape Africa's media and governance landscape.  The issue becomes how African governments can benefit without compromising press freedom, data privacy, or democratic values.

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.

Challenges Faced by Sudanese Journalists

 Media in Cooperation and Transition with support from UNESCO published in October 2023 a report titled "In the Shadow of Violence: The Pressing Needs of Sudanese Journalists."

The report looks at the role of journalism and journalists as political upheaval, violence, and a humanitarian crisis rage in Sudan.  It proposes recommendations for improving the situation. 

Communist Party of China Party School in Tanzania

 The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 29 August 2022 an analysis titled "Political Training Under the Belt and Road Initiative: A Look at the Chinese Communist Party School in Africa" by Raphael Chan, a freelance researcher in Hong Kong.

The International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) provided $40 million to construct the CPC's first party training facility in Africa.  Established by the six ruling political parties in Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School is located in Tanzania.  Courses at the school emphasize the importance of strong party leadership across all dimensions of society, how the CPC disciplines itself, its approach to global affairs, and the advantages of a socialist system with Chinese characteristics.  

The school in Tanzania may signal the development of additional training facilities in Africa. For example, China is constructing diplomatic academies in Tunisia and Sierra Leone.  

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.  

Beijing's Global Megaphone

Freedom House published in January 2020 a report titled "Beijing's Global Megaphone: The Expansion of Chinese Communist Party Media Influence since 2017" by Sarah Cook.

The study looks at China's global state media outreach, which has accelerated since 2017 and deployed new tactics. It reflects how the Communist Party of China is working in influence public opinion globally. There are numerous examples of its efforts in Africa.

Zimbabwe Is Copying China Style Surveillance State

VICE News posted on 1 December 2019 an article titled "Zimbabwe Is Trying to Build a China Style Surveillance State" by David Gilbert.

The government of Zimbabwe is trying to silence social media accounts with legislation that bears all the hallmarks of China's censorship and surveillance system. The author argues that Zimbabwe's proposed cybersecurity law is taking its lead from China.

Internet Shutdowns in Africa and China's Role

Ventures Africa published in August 2019 a series of essays on shutting down the internet in Africa. Included is an interview with James Griffiths, author of The Great Firewall of China, titled "China's Firewall and Africa's Internet Shutdowns."

The author concludes that China has had an influence, both in pioneering the use of internet shutdowns for censorship and social control in providing tools and support to African countries that wish to censor and control their own domestic internets.

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.

China and the African Internet

Foreign Policy posted on 19 March 2019 an article titled "For Africa, Chinese-Built Internet Is Better Than No Internet at All" by Amy Mackinnon.

The Chinese company Huawei has built about 70 percent of Africa's 4G networks, leaving European companies far behind and American companies almost absent. African governments seem unconcerned about Western charges that they may be leaving themselves vulnerable to espionage.

China Exports Digital Surveillance to Africa

Quartz Africa posted on 1 November 2018 an article titled "China Is Exporting Its Digital Surveillance Methods to African Governments" by Abdi Latif Dahir.

Based on a global study dated October 2018 by Freedom House titled "Freedom on the Net 2018," the article suggests that China is helping African governments to censor the internet and control the flow of information.

The End of China's Non-intervention Policy in Africa

The Chinafrica Project posted on 28 October 2018 a 30-minute podcast titled "The End of China's Non-intervention Policy in Africa" with Obert Hodzi, Boston University, Eric Olander, and Cobus van Staden.

The podcast looks at China's move away from non-interventionism in Africa and elsewhere. Hodzi concludes, however, that China's role in Africa so far is benign and even positive but is focused on protecting China's interests.

China: Handling Criticism and Its Impact on Africa

The Oxford University China Africa Network published on 27 May 2014 an opinion piece titled "China: Quashing Criticism at Home and Abroad" by Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.  It is critical of the way that China suppresses criticism in China and alleged support by Chinese companies for controlling information in countries such as Ethiopia and Zambia. 

Pros and Cons of China's Telecom Expansion in Ethiopia

The China Africa Project operated by Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden recently carried a 25 minute podcast titled "Pros and Cons of China's Telecom Expansion in Ethiopia" with Andy Shuai Liu, who runs a blog out of Washington called chinaopenmic.com.

The podcast discusses Huawei's and ZTE's recent $1.6 billion contract to upgrade Ethiopia's internet and mobile phone networks in a country that is one of the least connected in Africa and one that carefully controls freedom of speech. The podcast deals with issues of expanding internet service, aiding censorship and cyber spying.