Stories about Ethiopia
How Ethiopia's ruling coalition created a playbook for disinformation
Manipulation tactics used by Ethiopia's ruling coalition members against each other in their internal power struggle serve as a blueprint for opposition groups to attack their opponents and the government.
Was the Nobel Peace Prize for Ethiopia’s prime minister premature?
Abiy Ahmed Ali has undertaken unprecedented reforms since he took office last year. But will he end up like other African leaders who started well, but went rogue over time?
Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa: Global Voices represents at Addis Ababa digital rights conference
The forum represented a huge step forward for digital rights in Ethiopia, where, just five years ago, press freedom and digital rights were at an all-time low.
A proposed administrative shift in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church stokes ethnic, religious tensions
Oromo clerics say the EOTC expects Oromo churchgoers to worship in Ge’ez, the church’s liturgical language, or Amharic, the working language of Ethiopia's federal government.
Mass tree-planting in Ethiopia broke world records, but its impact will take time
Mass tree-planting projects are exciting, but the solution is never as simple as it seems. Send a Cow encourages smallholder farmers to plant multi-purpose trees in harmony with the environment.
Months after pledge to open internet, Ethiopia disrupts connectivity amidst communal violence, tension
Ethiopian authorities have resorted to shutting down entire networks in response to recent ethnic and political tensions. A lack of transparency makes it impossible to challenge.
In Ethiopia, disinformation spreads through Facebook live as political tensions rise
Online conspiracy theories, political rants and rumors laced with communal hatred are now common genres in Ethiopian social media.
Netizen Report: Conflict triggers internet shutdowns in Mauritania, Myanmar and Ethiopia (again)
Struggles for political power in Myanmar, Mauritania and Ethiopia led to widespread shutdowns of internet services this week.
Netizen Report: Lawyers seek court challenge against Ethio Telecom over internet shutdown
Pakistani bloggers face threats for online speech, Algeria shuts down social media and Indonesian police say they’re "cyber patrolling" WhatsApp.
Hundreds gather in Nigeria to mourn professor Pius Adesanmi: ‘A juggernaut of African thought’
"A thousand years from now, I am hoping that fragments of my writing survive: not all accepted to live as slaves of the most irresponsible rulers of their era."
Nigerians grieve the death of Pius Adesanmi, postcolonial scholar and public intellectual
"A towering intellectual with a mind that cut through issues like a scalpel who still remained curious about the issues of a younger would-be thinker ..."
Africa uncovered: an interview with Aida Muluneh
"[...] being African is really more complex as well and it’s not just one thing. There are different definitions and different interpretations and I just happen to be one of those."
Why are African governments criminalising online speech? Because they fear its power.
The noise we make on digital platforms scares oppressive regimes. In some cases, it can even force them to rescind their actions.
Netizen Report: Authorities shut down mobile internet in Ethiopia’s capital, as ethnic and political conflict persist
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
What's happened to digital rights over the past seven years? 300 editions of the Netizen Report will tell you
This week, we're looking back at seven years of covering global digital rights news in celebration of our 300th edition!
Netizen Report: Ethiopia Arrests Leading Journalists and Activists in ‘State of Emergency’
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
As Leaders Step Down, a Cautious Hope Rises on the African Continent
After the resignation of Zuma and Desalegn, "the mood on the continent is one of hope, on the one hand, and of palpable restraint and scepticism on the other."
Leaked Documents Show That Ethiopia’s Ruling Elites Are Hiring Social Media Trolls (And Watching Porn)
The leaks include a list of individuals who appear to have been paid to promote the ruling coalition on social media.
The Untimely Death of an Exiled Ethiopian Journalist
"His reward for having conscience in a country that criminalises it was torture & death in exile."
What Happens at Maekelawi? Tales of Torture from an Ethiopian Detention Center Slated for Closure
"It turns out that the anguish of Ethiopian prisoners, something that appeared to be so distant in memory, is not that far off after all."
Growing Popular Opposition Continues to Put Pressure on Ethiopia’s Ruling Party
"2017 was the year of the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation...The OPDO was able to shake the puppet label and actually prove to be quite vocal in #Ethiopia's political arena."