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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
Predicaments of Press Freedom in Ethiopia: Postponing the Inevitable
| Panel |
89. Makers of the Ethiopian Political Crisis
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| Paper ID | 808 |
| Author(s) |
Mammo, Kefale
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | There has never been fertile ground for press freedom to flourish in Ethiopia. Successive regimes had been good, if any, at suppressing freedom of the press. This was one of the main reasons that led the Ethiopian people to revolt against the autocratic regime of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. The military regime, the Dergue, that took over was also an enemy of press freedom. When the Dergue was toppled by the collective efforts of the Ethiopian people in 1991, many hoped a new era ushered in the progress of press freedom, but the worse was to come.
This paper endeavors to expose the obsession of the 21st dictator, who is attempting to silence a nation that has arisen to embrace a democratic system of governance and enjoy the fruits of freedom of the press. The Ethiopian people have already shown their collective choice and resolve on the 15 May 2005 National Elections. On that day, they came out in their millions to say 'Yes' to Democracy and 'No' to the oligarchic rule that suppressed among other things freedom of the press. Meles Zenawi, the leader of the oligarchy, responded by showering bullets on peaceful demonstrators, incarcerating opposition leaders, free press journalists, human rights advocates, etc. and closing their offices. This situation is only leading to a stiff confrontation between the dictator and his regime on the one hand and the people and the opposition on the other. The inevitable outcome of this confrontation is the demise of the dictator like his predecessors and prevalence of people and forces of democracy. |
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