The International Press Institute (IPI) will conduct a fact-finding mission to Ethiopia from 16-19 November 2009. IPI Director David Dadge will meet with representatives from a broad spectrum of the media, as well as government officials to discuss challenges to the media in the East African country.
IPI has been involved in campaigning for a better media climate in Ethiopia for many years.
Ethiopia was placed on the IPI Watch List at a board meeting on 15 May 2004.
In 2005, the government reacted to riots and public protests following bitterly-contested elections with a harsh crackdown on the media.
Positive signs began to emerge in 2007, however, with the release of 15 journalists who had been arrested in connection with coverage related to the 2005 elections. Other positive developments involved the launching of a private commercial radio station (Sherger Radio), and of an independent political publication (Addis Neger), the first in two years. However, approximately half of the released journalists subsequently left the country to avoid continued governmental monitoring and harassment. Similarly, Sherger Radio and Addis Neger were reported to be operating under self-censorship.
The number of privately-owned newspapers has grown and some are available online. Their reporting is notably different from that of the state-owned newspapers and can be critical of the government.
At present, the Ethiopian press freedom climate is still a cause for concern, with banned media, control of independent voices, regular blocking of Websites and use of the legal system to stifle critical journalists.
In August of this year, two Ethiopian journalists were jailed after a judge convicted them under the outdated Press Proclamation of 1992 over coverage of sensitive topics dating back to 2007 in one case, and 2004 in the other.
The IPI fact-finding mission to Ethiopia will highlight these and other media freedom concerns.
“On the eve of IPI’s 60th anniversary, its strength is that it meets not just the media but also key decisionmakers who have the power to make things change,” said IPI Director David Dadge. “I hope that this mission and the meetings in Addis Ababa will serve to highlight the importance of press freedom, and provide a platform for diverse stakeholders to come together to address the concerns of Ethiopia’s media.”
David Dadge will be in Addis Ababa from Monday 16 November through Thursday 19 November.
To arrange an interview, please contact Press Freedom Advisor for Africa Naomi Hunt at [email protected], or by calling +43-(1)-512-9011-22/ +43-(0)-650-612-0637 (Mobile).
