Ethiopia is now one of the worst places for a journalist to work, a worrisome trend the government needs to urgently address.

Development Diaries reports that the East African country is the third-worst jailer of journalists in Africa, according to a 2023 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

We understand the number of journalists jailed as of December 2023 rose to 47 from 31 in 2022 and 30 in 2021 in sub-Saharan Africa, with Ethiopia (eight) and Cameroon (six) ranking as the second- and third-worst in the region.

Despite the signing of a peace agreement in 2022 that ended two years of civil war, parts of Ethiopia remain restive, with conflict raging in the country’s Amhara State between regional militias and federal forces.

All eight journalists were arrested in 2023 after covering this conflict, signalling the continuous reprisal of journalists in the country.

The number of jailed Ethiopian journalists reflects the difficult environment for the media.

Recall that in April 2023, we reported the arrest of seven journalists, a move by the government that highlighted the ongoing violation of the right to freedom of expression.

In 2021, a new media law, Proclamation No. 1238/2021 Media Proclamation, was adopted to offer a more liberal and protective legal framework for journalists.

Defamation was decriminalised and the confidentiality of journalists’ sources was protected. In practice, however, this new law is usually circumvented and does not prevent arrests of journalists.

Many reporters, whose coverage did not toe the government line, have been detained on serious charges such as ‘promoting terrorism’.

Development Diaries calls on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to ensure the new media proclamation adopted in 2021 is fully enforced to guarantee the freedom of journalists to carry out their lawful duties.

Source: Addis Standard

Photo source: The Guardian