Ethiopia: Tigrayan Official Calls for Internal Reforms

 Ethiopia Insight published on 18 March 2024 a commentary titled "TPLF Needs to Chart a New Path Ahead for Tigray" by Fiseha Haftetsion, coordinator of the Policy Studies and Research Center of the TPLF.

The author, head of the Justice Bureau of Tigray until April 2023, calls on the Tigray People's Liberation Front to undertake a number of changes and reforms.  Ethiopia's federal and regional constitutions contain democratic principles that must be accepted.  Tigray's development program must be based on liberalism.  Regional authorities need to make their positions known at the federal level.  Tigray should be based on meritocracy.  It needs to make better use of its natural resources.  It must allow free expression but prohibit crimes like hate speech and racism.  Tigrayans must be honest about the flaws within the TPLF.  

Press Freedom Takes Hit in Sudan

 African Arguments published on 16 December 2021 a commentary titled "'Back to the Former Lies: Sudan Reverts to Media Repression Post-Coup" by Elzahraa Jadallah Khaled and Tom Rhodes.  

One of the first casualties of the 25 October military coup in Sudan was the country's new freedom of expression.  Independent media have been shut down, harassed and/or feel required to self-censor.  The government media prints nothing that is critical of the military.  

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.

Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and Freedom of Expression

African Arguments posted on 4 April 2018 a commentary titled "Ethiopia: Why PM Abiy Ahmed's First Priority Should Be Free Expression" by William Davison, journalist based in Addis Ababa.

The author argues that the key ingredient for a new Ethiopia is greater freedom of expression within government and throughout society.

Eritrea Rejects Devastating UN Human Rights Report

The UN Human Rights Council released on 5 June 2015 the lengthy "Report of the Detailed Findings of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea."  The Commission concluded that systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in Eritrea under the authority of the Eritrean government.  

The Eritrean foreign ministry declared the UN report was "totally unfounded and without merit" and said it constituted "extreme charges and indecent hyperbole" according to a 10 June 2015 report by Reuters.