Ethiopia: Optimism On Zenawi Snuffed Out By Acts of Repression

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
May 3, 2006
Francis Openda, Nairobi
The Ethiopian Government's high-handedness on journalists only rivals that of Zimbabwe.
As journalists mark the World Press Freedom Day, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has chosen to suppress the media by charging journalists with outdated crimes.
It is also pressuring media outlets, including foreign ones, and has issued a "hit list" of journalists and others accused of treason.
Some 22 journalists had by December last year been charged with conspiracy to undermine the government.
Lucky ones fled the country, while those who could not do so spent long period behind bars.
The assault on the media comes at a time when many thought Zenawi's regime was warming up to the media.
According to the International Press Institute, the result of these "heavy-handed and short-sighted" actions is a greatly weakened private media that feels threatened and intimidated, causing a number of journalists to flee the country or go into hiding for fear of arrest.
Zenawi has chosen to do this at a time when the international community was beginning to accept that his government had a genuine desire to introduce greater democracy.
While the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had previously described the Ethiopian government as standing at the crossroads regarding press freedom, it now states that Zenawi's Government has finally chosen its path.
"Unfortunately for the country, it was not one guaranteed to uphold freedom of the press," notes CPJ in its website.
Zenawi's latest crackdown on the media stems from last year's disputed parliamentary elections whose impact continued to affect the country long after the polling stations had been closed.
The bitter accusations of electoral fraud ignited a series of violent clashes between opposition supporters and government security forces.
The clashes left at least 36 people dead with thousands in police cells.
Journalists were also caught up in the increasingly dangerous situation and several were arrested as the government sought to control what was being published about the arrest.
As the unrest continued, Zenawi's ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front began to focus on stifling media reports.
On June 2, last year six editors from the Amharic media received summons from the Criminal Investigations Department.
They were held in detention and questioned for several hours.
On 7 June, five Ethiopian journalists employed by foreign media had their accreditation revoked with the Information Ministry warning that other journalists would face similar treatment if they continued to file " false and misleading reports".
During this period, newspaper distributors were arrested and charged.
Four other editors were arrested in late June after being accused of defaming the military in stories claiming that Ethiopian Air Force pilots had defected while on a training programme in Belarus.
As the tension continued in July, the authorities began to crack down on any journalist who mentioned the unrest.
In August, Ethiopia's Supreme Court sentenced Tamrat Serbesa, editor-in-chief of Satanaw, to a month in jail for failing to reveal his source.
Apart from media organisations, the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association (EFJA) has also been harassed and its leadership intimidated.
Last October, EFJA president Kifle Mulat, vice-president Taye Belachew, accountant Habetamu Assefa, and treasurer Sisay Agena were fingerprinted, held for several hours, and questioned.
Each of them was later released on bail of US$237. The police also sought a fifth member of EFJA, Taye Belachew, but he was living outside the country.
On 2 November, the government broadcast a radio message threatening to arrest journalists and members of EFJA.
As a result of the message, several members of EFJA either went into hiding or fled the country.
Ethiopia: Optimism On Zenawi Snuffed Out By Acts of Repression (Page 2 of 2)
On November 4, the authorities arrested editor-in-chief Dawit Kebede, deputy editor Feleke Tibebu and a reporter. All of the journalists are from the Hadar newspaper.
In its crackdown the police have gone to the extent of preventing the private media from using print presses. Zenawi claimed that the media were " fanning" the violence in Addis Ababa.
In the middle of November, authorities arrested Andualem Ayle of the private, Amharic-language weekly Ethiop, and Nardos Meaza of the private, Amharic-language weekly Satanaw.
During this period, the authorities also searched the offices of the private weekly newspaper Netsanet.
In December, Getachew Simie, former editor-in-chief of the now defunct Amharic-language weekly Agere, was sentenced to three months in prison for criminal defamation.