The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue issued its report
The report, published on 12 December 2024, is comprised of 15 pages and discusses several key themes:
1. The dangers of press coverage in armed conflicts
2. Legal protections afforded to journalists during armed conflicts under international agreements
3. Journalists and media workers who have been victims during the armed conflict in Ethiopia
4. Statistics on journalist casualties in Ethiopia
UNESCO documented the killing of 162 journalists worldwide between January 2022 and December 2023, with more than half killed in the context of armed conflicts. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of detained journalists rose to 47 by December 2023, up from 31 in 2022.
In Ethiopia, eight journalists are currently imprisoned, some of whom are among the longest-serving detainees in the world without clear charges. There are at least 222 journalists and media workers in Ethiopia, with actual numbers likely to be higher.
In 2021, two journalists were killed in Ethiopia:
- Dawit Kebede Araya, a reporter for Tigray TV, was shot dead by Ethiopian soldiers in the city of Mekelle on 19 January.
- Sisay Fida, a correspondent for the Oromia Broadcasting Network, was killed by militants of the Shene group in the Oromia region on 9 May.
In 2022, a private media house was targeted in a drone strike.
