NAIROBI, Nov 26, Reuters -- Ethiopia has announced new restrictions on the sharing of information about the war in the north of the country, which stipulates that battlefront updates can only come from the government. The government's communication service said late on Thursday that information on military maneuvers, war front updates and results is not allowed and that information is not provided by a joint civilian-military command set up to oversee a state of emergency. The statement did not specify the consequences of the new rules for journalists or media outlets covering the war, which broke out last November between the government and rebellious forces from the northern region of Tigray.
It did not address the consequences of publishing information provided by unauthorized sources. Ethiopia's media regulator didn't return calls from Reuters seeking clarification on the matter. Billene Seyoum, a prime minister's spokeswoman, told Reuters on Friday that the state of emergency prohibits unauthorized entities from disseminating activities from the front via various channels including media. She did not elaborate.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front, the party that controls most of Tigray, was designated by Ethiopia's parliament earlier this year as a terrorist group. In its statement, the government's communication service instructed those using freedom of speech to not use it as a pretext to support the terrorist group. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed oversaw sweeping reforms when he took office in 2018, including the ban of more than 250 media outlets, the release of dozens of journalists and the repeal of some widely criticized media laws. Some rights groups say press freedom has eroded since the government has faced outbreaks of deadly violence, including the conflict in Tigray and neighbouring regions. At least 38 journalists and media workers have been detained since early 2020, most of them since the conflict began, according to a Reuters tally.
Asked about the arrests in May, Ethiopia's media regulators said freedom of expression and the protection of the press are sacred values that are enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution.