Could a National Dialogue Solve Ethiopia's Political Crisis?

 The United States Institute of Peace published on 19 January 2021 a discussion titled "Could a National Dialogue Solve Ethiopia's Political Crisis?" with Emebet Getachew, Life and Peace Institute in Addis Ababa, Mehari Taddele Maru, European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and Yohannes Gedamu, Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  

While the authors admit that a national dialogue may not solve Ethiopia's political crisis, they believe it is a good starting point and has the potential to address the country's dilemmas.  

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.

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.

US Rebukes Ethiopia over Sentencing of Ethiopian Journalists

Jim Lobe of the Inter Press Service published an article on 17 July 2012 titled "Rights Groups, U.S. Denounce Sentences of Ethiopian Journalists." He reported the tough statement from the State Department that expressed deep concern about the trial and convictions. He also quotes my reaction to the situation.

Click here to read the article.

Somaliland and Arrest of Journalists

Somaliland has the most democratic government in the Horn of Africa, a fact for which it can be proud. It is all the more surprising, therefore, that it continues to arrest and detain journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported on 6 April 2012 that Somaliland authorities recently arrested a reporter for Royal TV and another for Universal TV. Click here to read the report.

For an earlier report by the Committee to Protect Journalists on the arrest of seven journalists, click here.

Ethiopia's Anti-Terrorism Law

The 10 February 2012 Christian Science Monitor carried an article by William Davison that focuses on Ethiopia's anti-terrorism law and the way it is applied to journalists.

Titled Why Ethiopia's Authoritarian Style Gets a Western Nod, I am quoted in the article.