(Aug 25, 2012, VOA)--The death of Ethiopian Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi has raised questions about the state of press freedom in
the country. After weeks of government silence over Meles' health, he
died suddenly in a Belgian hospital on August 20.
Journalists who had reported on his health had seen harsh reprisals from the government, such was the case with Temesgen Desalegn, editor of the prominent Ethiopian weekly newspaper Feteh who was jailed late last month.
Analysts say hardliners in the government, coupled with the country's
one-party rule, will keep the Ethiopian press firmly under government
control in the future. Mohamed Keita with the Committee to Protect
Journalist's Africa Program says government prosecution and laws
prevented a free press from developing under Meles.
"Systematic persecution and criminalization of news gathering activities, critical reporting, investigative journalism never had a chance to grow under his rule because access to information never became a reality and his government continually enacted laws that ever restricted the activities of journalists and criminalized these activities," said Keita. The illness and whereabouts of Meles had been a source of rampant media speculation for weeks, including reports that he had died or gone on holiday. Keita says this is because of the government's culture of secrecy.
"Because the government did not provide reliable information, refused to give details about his whereabouts and his condition," noted Keita. "This reflected the culture of secrecy within the ruling party and so in the absence of reliable information rumors ran wild and this is why there was so much speculation." Meles has been succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been deputy prime minister. Keita thinks freedom of the press in Ethiopia will not improve under Hailemariam because of hardliners' influence in the ruling party.
"The ruling party, there are hard-liners in the party and they wield a lot of influence," Keita noted. "I don't think Hailemariam is a hard-liner, but I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure so I don't know if he'll have a chance to really break with the past." Read more the original article from Voice of America »
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Journalists who had reported on his health had seen harsh reprisals from the government, such was the case with Temesgen Desalegn, editor of the prominent Ethiopian weekly newspaper Feteh who was jailed late last month.
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| A man kneels as he pays his respects in front of the coffin of PM Meles Zenawi (AP Photo ), |
"Systematic persecution and criminalization of news gathering activities, critical reporting, investigative journalism never had a chance to grow under his rule because access to information never became a reality and his government continually enacted laws that ever restricted the activities of journalists and criminalized these activities," said Keita. The illness and whereabouts of Meles had been a source of rampant media speculation for weeks, including reports that he had died or gone on holiday. Keita says this is because of the government's culture of secrecy.
"Because the government did not provide reliable information, refused to give details about his whereabouts and his condition," noted Keita. "This reflected the culture of secrecy within the ruling party and so in the absence of reliable information rumors ran wild and this is why there was so much speculation." Meles has been succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been deputy prime minister. Keita thinks freedom of the press in Ethiopia will not improve under Hailemariam because of hardliners' influence in the ruling party.
"The ruling party, there are hard-liners in the party and they wield a lot of influence," Keita noted. "I don't think Hailemariam is a hard-liner, but I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure so I don't know if he'll have a chance to really break with the past." Read more the original article from Voice of America »
Related topics:
Award-winning Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega jailed for 18 years CPJ condemns Eskinder Nega verdict in Ethiopia
Ethiopian blogger Eskinder Nega 'guilty of terror link'
Standing with Ethiopia's tenacious blogger, Eskinder Nega
Free Media Under Attack In Ethiopia
Journalists Live in Fear of 'Terror' Law
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