In Nairobi, Kenya, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has raised the alarm about Yeshihasab Abera, a journalist who disappeared after security forces whisked him away on September 30 from his workplace in Amhara State—a region that’s been boiling over with turmoil since 2023.
Yeshihasab, the second-in-command at the state-run Bekur newspaper, was nabbed at the Amhara Media Corporation’s headquarters in Bahir Dar, as recounted by his spouse, Meseret Hunegnaw, and echoed in various news pieces.
According to Meseret, the authorities first held him in a temporary military station, then bumped him over to a police holding cell the same day. By October 3, Yeshihasab vanished again to destinations unknown, with officials still mum on the motives behind his capture.
“Ethiopian authorities should either bring Yeshihasab Abera to court with genuine charges or set him free without strings,” emphasized Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator. “His mysterious detention stokes anxiety and threatens press freedom for reporters navigating the tense Amhara environs.”
Amnesty International has flagged the occasional round-up of hundreds, spanning government workers to scholars, in Amhara starting September 28.
On October 1, leaders from the Amhara regional governance and Ethiopian National Defense Force mentioned an ongoing mission to enforce the law, homing in on armed assemblies and their “logistical and intelligence” tentacles in both governmental and private chequers. CPJ hasn’t cracked whether Yeshihasab’s arrest fits into this crackdown jigsaw.
The unrest dates over a year back, pitting state forces against the Fano militia from Amhara, who feel let down by the peace pact brokered to end the prior civil conflict from 2020 to 2022 and who resist federal sway over swathes of the territory.
Despite attempts, CPJ got radio silence from Amhara’s Communication Bureau, Bekur newspaper officials, and the Amhara Media Corporation when queries were sent their way.
