Ethiopia’s government has dealt a fresh setback to independent journalism by permanently suspending two Deutsche Welle (DW) correspondents, intensifying concerns over press restrictions.
Deutsche Welle, Germany’s public international broadcaster, announced on December 12 that the Ethiopian Media Authority—a government body regulating news outlets—had imposed the suspensions. Initially, on October 23, the authority temporarily halted all journalistic activities by nine DW Ethiopia-based reporters. A follow-up letter last week lifted restrictions on seven but made permanent the bans on two covering the conflict-hit Amhara and Tigray regions, citing “noncompliance with Ethiopian laws and professional ethics.”
DW protested the move, highlighting the authority’s failure to provide concrete examples of violations and its vague references to Ethiopia’s media proclamation and hate speech laws.
The incident underscores escalating threats to the independent press amid Ethiopia’s regional conflicts and political tensions. Critics argue such actions stifle reporting on sensitive issues, eroding media freedom in a country already ranked low on global press indices. DW’s response calls for reinstatement and transparency, signaling potential international backlash.
