Nairobi, October 4, 2024—Concerns are mounting for journalist Yeshihasab Abera’s safety, as he remains absent from court following his abrupt removal by security forces from his Amhara State office on September 30. This region has been embroiled in conflict since last year.
Yeshihasab, who holds the position of deputy editor at the government-run Bekur newspaper, was apprehended at the Amhara Media Corporation’s Bahir Dar headquarters, according to his wife, Meseret Hunegnaw, and various media outlets.
She informed CPJ that her husband was first detained at a temporary military post before being transferred to a police station later that day. On October 3, authorities relocated him to an undisclosed place, keeping her in the dark about the cause of his arrest.
“Ethiopian authorities need to bring Yeshihasab Abera before a magistrate and substantiate any accusations, or they must release him immediately without any conditions,” emphasized Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator. “Holding him at an unidentified location is troubling and clearly intimidates journalists operating in the volatile Amhara region.”
Since September 28, Amnesty International has noted the arbitrary detainment of hundreds, encompassing public administrators and scholars in Amhara.
On October 1, officials from the Amhara regional authorities and the Ethiopian National Defense Force announced a “law enforcement operation” aimed at dismantling armed factions and their “logistical and intelligence” infrastructures within the public and private sectors. CPJ remains uncertain if Yeshihasab’s arrest is connected to this widespread crackdown.
The region descended into violence over a year ago, sparking battles between national troops and the local Fano militia, who felt betrayed by the terms of a peace treaty concluding the 2020-2022 civil war and have resisted centralized control over sections of Amhara.
CPJ’s emails seeking statements from the Amhara Amhara Regional State Government Communication Bureau, Bekur newspaper, and the Amhara Media Corporation have gone unanswered.
