Ethiopia orders British reporter to leave country

Ethiopia orders British reporter to leave country
Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:32 PM GMT
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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia has ordered a British journalist to leave the country within 24 hours, accusing him of portraying it in a bad light, state television said on Saturday.
Anthony Mitchell, who worked for the Associated Press, was summoned to the foreign ministry and told to leave.
"Anthony Mitchell has been asked to leave the country in the next 24 hours because of disseminating information tarnishing the image of the country despite repeated advice not to do so," the television said.
Associated Press Managing Editor Mike Silverman said the news agency was aware of the order and was seeking clarification. "We stand by our reporter and we hope he will be able to remain in the country," he said in a statement.
Western diplomats were making efforts to dissuade the government from expelling Mitchell, diplomatic sources said.
Ethiopian television did not elaborate on the reasons for ordering him out of the country.
The expulsion order was announced a day after a procession by tens of thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians turned violent in the capital Addis Ababa, with police opening fire at crowds, injuring more than 20 people, according to witnesses.
Police said they acted after an unidentified person threw a grenade at them, adding it missed and killed a civilian.
The announcement of the expulsion coincided with a visit to Addis Ababa of the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, who is mediating in the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Frazer met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi earlier on Saturday, the television said.
Once hailed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton as "part of a new generation of leaders" for Africa and a key member of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Africa Commission in 2005, Meles' democratic credentials have suffered in the last year.
A disputed May election sparked bloody protests and a security crackdown in which more than 80 people were killed and top opposition leaders and journalists were arrested on treason charges.
Britain said on Wednesday it would stop budget support worth at least 50 million pounds to Ethiopia because of concerns over governance and human rights.© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.