Dec 14, 2017

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Government Shuts Down Social Media in Light of Increased Ethnic Tensions


On 11 of December 2017, protestors, mostly students of neighboring Universities, went out in the streets to denounce the killing of Ahimaddinnn Ahimad Asaasaa by the Liyu police, the special paramilitary which operates as regional security. Since then, Ethiopian security forces have shut down social media servers in the region and continue to use violence to dissipate the peaceful protestors.

Below is an article from Ogaden Online:

Reports reaching us from Addis Ababa confirm that the TPLF led regime blocked access to Twitter, Facebook and other social media, amid an uptick in ethnic clashes. Oromo authorities and other local Ethiopian independent news reports say between six and 18 people were killed by security forces on Monday in Oromia region and that a dozen more were injured.

The violence was reported to be most intense in eastern town of Chelenko, near the volatile border between the Ogaden and Oroma regions, home to two of the country’s largest ethnic groups.

The United States on Wednesday said it was ”troubled and saddened” by clashes in Ethiopia that local reports said has left at least 18 people dead.

Two students were also reported killed on Sunday in separate clashes at the Wollega University campus in Oromia, while another person was reported killed at Adigrat University in Ethiopia’s north.

 

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