Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (pictured August 2018), who took office in 2015 has been accused of suppressing protests/FILE/AFP

Africa

Ethiopia clamps down on social media amid protests

According to Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, the latest shutdown is the 11th government-imposed internet disruption in Ethiopia since 2015.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 — Facebook, Telegram and TikTok has been restricted in Ethiopia amid protests over the split of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewhado Church.

According to Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, this is the 11th government-imposed internet disruption in Ethiopia since 2015.

Outof the cases five of were related to protests, while six were related to other types of political turmoil.

Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, Surfshark spokeswoman warned that internet blackout poses a threat to the freedom of association and sharing of information among citizens.

“Undemocratic governments often pull the plug on internet services in times of unrest in an attempt to avoid backlash on controversial government actions and ultimately to silence the public. By restricting access to these three major social media platforms, many Ethiopians will be unable to communicate with each other and organize protests,” she said.

 Ethiopia and Sudan are the two most intensive countries by internet disruptions in Africa, with 11 recorded cases each.

This comes even as Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) continues to take part in the implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) after more than 2 years of conflict that resulted to loss of lives and displacement of people.

The Internet Shutdown Tracker was developed by Surfshark in partnership with internet watchdog  NetBlocks.

According to Surfshark African countries block access to social media the most (34 countries), especially amid political turmoil or elections.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Of these, a third of African countries have restricted access to internet services because of elections.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News

Africa

Tanzania’s Foreign Minister, January Makamba, said Thursday that the meeting will “lay out the process and procedure for [the] election of the AU Commission...

Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 29-Kenya and Ethiopia have reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states amid ongoing regional tensions, notably...

Africa

The Special Status Agreement, originally inked between former Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn and the late former President Mwai Kibaki, aimed to bolster economic ties...

Africa

Mohamud’s visit, although unofficial, will be coming hot on the heels of Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's State Visit.

Africa

While highlighting the importance of eliminating trade barriers, including tariffs and non-tariff obstacles, he emphasized that doing so would mutually benefit both nations.

Africa

The Foreign Office said the meeting will yield several agreements aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.

DIPLOMACY

Ethiopians will now make eTA applications without paying the USD30 fee applicable to other foreigners.

Top stories

The police have detained two armed people for more investigation, said Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.