Ethiopia urged to cease internet shutdowns by CPJ and 47 rights organisations

On 27 April, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) teamed up with 47 other human rights organisations to write a letter urging Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to guarantee unrestricted internet and digital communication access. The letter expressed concern over internet shutdowns as a tool of oppression in Ethiopia. It cited various shutdowns, including blocking mobile internet during violent protests in the Amhara region on 3 April and the government’s social media platform blockade in February. The letter argued that internet shutdowns infringe upon fundamental human rights and threaten journalists’ safety and freedom.

The letter read in part;

‘Against a backdrop of periodic internet shutdowns across Ethiopia, during the week of April 3, 2023, authorities blocked access to mobile internet as violent  protests erupted in several parts of the Amhara region against the federal government’s decision to disintegrate regional special forces. According to reports, mobile data remains restricted across major cities in the region while broadband connection is functional’.