The Ethiopian Media Authority has announced it was suspending Deutsche Welle (DW) over the nature of its reporting which it finds disturbing.
Local journalists who are reporting for the German state-funded global media network from various parts of Ethiopia have also been temporarily suspended.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, DW said the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA), in a letter issued on Thursday, accused the outlet and its local correspondents of “violating Ethiopian law and regulations and failing to respect professional ethics.”
DW recalled that it has been reporting on Ethiopia’s political, economic, and social affairs since the late 1980s, including coverage on the activities of local, continental, and international organisations based in the country.
The broadcaster noted that its presence in Ethiopia has “relied on correspondents operating within the country.”
DW also stated that since 2018, it has expanded its network to nine correspondents based in Mekelle, Bahir Dar, Dessie, Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Dire Dawa, and Assosa, enabling it to “collect information and distribute independent, balanced, and accurate reports to the people of Ethiopia.”
According to the broadcaster, the work permits of its local correspondents have been “suspended effective today”. It added that the EMA “did not specify the duration of the temporary suspension.”
Recently, DW reported that Fano forces took control of multiple areas across the Amhara region following intensified fighting with federal troops in various parts of the region.
MG/as/APA