When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, Ethiopians and the international community were promised a new era of democratic reform. Among his first acts was the release of imprisoned journalists and the opening of media space, gestures that appeared to signal a genuine break from decades of repression. In return, he was lavished with global praise—culminating in the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
But this narrative was a façade.
Within a year of Abiy’s rise, the government began re-arresting journalists, harassing independent outlets, and tightening its grip on the flow of information. This backslide started well before the outbreak of war in Tigray in late 2020. The so-called “reformist” administration quickly revealed itself to be deeply intolerant of dissent. What has followed since is not just a betrayal of the democratic hopes of 2018—it is a full-scale assault on freedom of expression.
Journalists who dared to investigate corruption, ethnic violence, or state abuses were soon labeled as enemies of the state. Media outlets critical of the government were raided or shuttered. By mid-2019, the number of detained journalists had already begun to rise again, with vague “anti-terrorism” charges reintroduced as tools of repression.
A Pattern of Repression
The numbers speak for themselves: more than 43 journalists were arrested, imprisoned, or kidnapped in 2024 alone, and at least seven have been detained in just the last month (Addis Standard). The recent arrest of Ahmed Awga, founder of Jigjiga TV, is emblematic—targeted merely for interviewing a grieving father alleging police brutality.
The government doesn’t stop at arrests. Entire newsrooms have been intimidated or forced to shut down. In one chilling example, journalists from Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS) were detained and charged with terrorism after airing an interview with a woman who described her abduction by militants. Rather than investigate the abuse, the state chose to punish the messengers (CPJ).
Ethiopia now ranks a dismal 145th out of 180 on the 2024 Press Freedom Index, and has become one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa.
Abiy Ahmed’s Government Is Fully Responsible
This is not the result of a few rogue security forces or an overzealous prosecutor. It is a deliberate, top-down policy of media suppression orchestrated by Abiy Ahmed’s government. Under his leadership, the Ethiopian state has waged a coordinated war on truth, accountability, and the right of citizens to be informed.
He has repeatedly cloaked these attacks in the language of “national unity” and “anti-terrorism”—but in reality, they are a mechanism for silencing any narrative that challenges his government’s image.
This is not reform. This is repression.
The Global Community Must Act
It is not enough for foreign governments and human rights organizations to issue soft statements of “concern.” The international community must recognize the true nature of the Abiy regime and treat it accordingly. Ethiopia is no longer a fledgling democracy—it is a state sliding into authoritarianism, with a leader who refuses to tolerate criticism.
We call for:
The immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned journalists.
An end to the misuse of anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent.
International sanctions targeting officials involved in the suppression of the free press.
Greater support for independent Ethiopian media operating in exile.
A Free Press Is Not Optional
Abiy Ahmed’s government may control the narrative for now, but history will not be kind to those who crush the truth to cling to power. The silencing of journalists is not a show of strength—it is the act of a government that fears its own people.
A free press is not a threat to national security—it is the foundation of national integrity. And Ethiopia will never know peace, democracy, or justice until it restores the rights of its journalists and the people they serve.
Ambassador Media Speaks from Experience
We do not speak as distant observers. Ambassador Media has been repeatedly targeted by Ethiopian authorities. Our journalists have faced harassment, surveillance, censorship, and threats simply for doing their jobs. We’ve been forced offline, silenced in broadcast, and punished for publishing. We understand firsthand the cost of telling stories the government doesn’t want told.
And yet, we will not be silent.
Ambassador Media stands in unwavering solidarity with every journalist imprisoned for telling the truth. We demand their release—and we demand an end to the war on journalism in Ethiopia. Truth is not terrorism. Journalism is not a crime. Silence is not an option.
