The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 18 September 2025 a statement titled "CPJ Calls for Immediate Release of Somaliland Journalist Abdiaziz Awl."
Police in Burao arrested KT Media TV reporter Abdiaziz Awl on September 12 without stating the reason for the arrest. The Somaliland Journalists Association claims that more than 20 journalists have been arrested since the beginning of the year.
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.
Ethiopia Insight published on 26 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Press Is Manufacturing Compliance" by Eyob Yohannes, data analyst based in Ethiopia.
The commentary discusses the erosion of press freedom in Ethiopia, which has always operated with significant limitations on the media. The author concludes: "The question is not whether Ethiopia has a free press. The question is whether Ethiopia can reclaim one before too much memory, and too much of its future, is gone."
Alhurra has just posted a 30-minute interview with me in English and with Arabic subtitles on "The Diplomat" dealing with the Horn of Africa.
Much of the interview focuses on US diplomacy during the Ethiopia-Eritrea war that broke out in 1998. There is also a discussion of US policy towards Sudan and the genocide in Rwanda.
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy published in 2025 a study titled "Parliamentary Oversight and Chinese Loans in Africa: The Case of Ghana and Nigeria" by Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Lagos State University.
The study identifies party-centered responses in parliament, executive push, and dependence on Chinese development finance as the challenges of parliamentary oversight. It concludes that strengthening parliamentary oversight of Chinese loans will require the involvement of non-state actors.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 22 April 2025 a press release titled "Ethiopia Police Raid Addis Standard, Detain 3 Managers."
Ethiopian police raided the privately-owned news outlet Addis Standard's office and an employee's home. They detained 3 managers for several hours, explaining they were under investigation on suspicion of preparing to produce a documentary that might incite violence. The publisher of the paper denied the allegation.
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.
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.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 6 September 2023 a press release titled "Three More Journalists Arrested under Ethiopia's State of Emergency."
Ethiopian authorities recently arrested the chief editor of the YouTube-based broadcaster Amhara Media Center, founder and editor of YouTube-based outlet Negari TV, and the editor-in-chief of the weekly Ghion magazine.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 14 April 2023 a press release titled "At Least 8 Journalists Detained Amid Renewed Unrest in Ethiopia."
Since April 3, Ethiopian authorities arrested at least 8 journalists, most of them in Amhara Region.
Ethiopia Insight published on 11 December 2022 a commentary titled "Unlawful Detention of Journalists in Ethiopia Continues Despite Amended Laws" by Zelalem Shiferaw Woldemichael, Melbourne Law School.
The author argues that despite Ethiopian enaction of the New Media Law, which forbids depriving journalists of their liberty at the pre-trial and trial stages, there is an increase in such practices. This reflects the failure of the judiciary to discharge its constitutional mandate.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 28 May 2022 a press release titled "Journalists Yayesew Shimelis and Temesgen Desalegn Detained in Ethiopia."
Both journalists were detained in Addis Ababa on 26 May. Both have a history of criticizing the government of Ethiopia.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 15 April 2022 a press release titled "Fifteen Journalists Detained for Covering Prison Fight in Somaliland."
On 13 April, Somaliland security forces detained 15 journalists for covering a fight between inmates and guards at a prison in the capital of Hargeisa.
Comment: This is not the way to obtain political support in the United States, especially after the Somaliland president's recent successful visit to Washington.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 11 April 2022 a statement titled "Somaliland Intelligence Officers Attack 3 Journalists; Detain Journalist Abdisalan Ahmed Awad."
Somaliland intelligence personnel reportedly attacked three journalists on 18 March and subsequently detained one of them who complained publicly about the incident.
Comment: This is not the kind of action that contributes positively to Somaliland's well-deserved reputation for supporting democratic principles.
African Arguments published on 7 March 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopian Journalists Are Taking a Stand for Press Freedom in 2022."
Sixteen media staffers in Ethiopia signed an open letter calling on the government to respect media rights. Another dozen wanted to sign but were not permitted to do so by their employer. In 2021, the government detained more than 40 journalists and media staffers.
The Council on Foreign Relations blog posted on 14 September 2021 a paper titled "What is the Influence of Chinse Media in West Africa?" by Emeka Umejei, University of Ghana.
The study provides an audience analysis of Chinese media sources on the basis of interviews with journalists and policy makers in Ghana and Nigeria.
The New York Times published on 13 May 2021 an article titled "As Ethiopia Fights in Tigray Region, a Crackdown on Journalists" by Abdi Latif Dahir and Declan Walsh.
The article details a crackdown on journalists who have been reporting from or about the conflict in Tigray Region.
