from ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Bureau
ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News) – NEARLY three years after Ethiopia’s civil war ended, journalists in Tigray remain under siege — facing arrests, armed threats, and violent repression as the region descends deeper into political turmoil.
Despite the 2022 peace deal between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the northern region remains volatile.
Federal authorities recently warned the UN that a Tigrayan faction was collaborating with Eritrea to destabilize Ethiopia, reigniting fears of renewed conflict.
Journalists remain caught in the crossfire.
In July, a team from Tigray Broadcasting Services (TBS) and Tigray Public Media (TPM) covering protests in Adi Gudem were detained by militia, shot at, and forced to flee disguised as villagers.
Their equipment abandoned, they escaped with only memory cards to air their story.
TBS called the incident a “deliberate political attack” aimed at silencing the press. Just weeks earlier, police detained two of its journalists in Axum, accusing them of trying to stir “chaos.”
Tensions within TPLF have fractured the region. After the war, Getachew Reda was installed as interim Tigray president, but in March, a faction loyal to TPLF veteran Debretsion Gebremichael ousted him.
Protests erupted after federal forces backed Debretsion’s supporters to take control of regional institutions.
Journalism has paid the price. In March, armed men stormed Mekelle FM, taking it off air and replacing its leadership.
“It was the saddest day of my life,” said a former employee. The station now airs only music and pre-recorded shows under armed guard.
The crackdown continues. In a fiery speech in September, senior TPLF official Fetlewerk Gebregziabher warned of “zero tolerance” toward media accused of siding with enemies, calling them “poison” and threatening death or detention.
“We are braced for either,” said TBS head Abel Guesh. “Her declaration shows the media is the first victim of Tigray’s escalating crisis.”
With journalists fleeing, exiled, or silenced, Tigray’s press freedom hangs by a thread.
— CAJ News