Among the many challenges for journalists covering conflict in Ethiopia is an increased risk of arrest, data by a media watchdog shows.
In 2023, Ethiopia detained eight journalists in connection to their coverage of a conflict in the country's Amhara region, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, also known as CPJ.
The journalists are among 320 jailed globally in relation to their work, according to CPJ's annual prison census. The data offers an annual snapshot of media workers in prison as of December 1.
The jailing of journalists has worsened over the years, said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa program coordinator.
With international media focused primarily on the Israel-Hamas war — a conflict that has witnessed a high number of journalists killed or detained — little attention is paid to long-running conflicts in African countries, said Quintal.
"Citizens of a particular country need to be made aware of what is going on and that journalists are among those who are being detained simply for being journalists and for doing journalism," Quintal told VOA.
Half of the journalists imprisoned in Ethiopia are held on anti-state charges, including accusations of "terrorizing or spreading fear among the public" to advance "political, religious or ideological causes." The other half are still not formally charged, CPJ found.
Ethiopia's embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA's request for comment.
Imprisoned without charge
While Ethiopia has one of the highest number of jailed journalists in Africa, neighboring Eritrea has a more dire record. With the most journalists jailed in Africa, Eritrea also is ranked as the world's seventh-largest jailer of news media professionals globally.
With 16 journalists imprisoned there without charge, Eritrea also holds the record for some of the longest cases of imprisonment.
Many were arrested in a September 2001 purge when the Eritrean government banned all independent publications. The families of the detained journalists and watchdogs have had no contact or updates on their well-being or whereabouts since.
Eritrea's embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA's request for comment.
Another concerning trend, said Quintal, is the impact of laws regarding social media and online journalism.
A case in Madagascar centers on allegedly defamatory remarks a journalist made on social media. Roland Hubert "Lola" Rasoamaharo, from the news website La Gazette de la Grande Ile, was arrested in March and later sentenced to five years in prison.
"Those familiar with the case really believe it is connected to the unfavorable coverage of the government," Quintal told VOA.
When asked for comment, Madagascar's embassy in Washington referred VOA to its Malagasy Law, which decriminalized press offenses. In the email, the embassy cited a government spokesperson as saying "there is a difference between legal and press offenses."
Phones infected with spyware
In Rwanda, three of the four journalists in prison as of late 2023 broadcast news on YouTube, and two journalists jailed in Togo also were detained for allegedly using social media to spread false news and damage the reputation of a government minister.
CPJ research on the Togo case found that the journalists' phones were infected with Pegasus Spyware, which can take control of a phone without the owner's knowledge or interaction.
Quintal said that because journalists often can't work any longer in traditional media, they use social media as an alternate platform.
"Often, when you see repressive governments cracking down on traditional media, then people move to social media as a platform to express themselves, report," said Quintal. "That is what we've seen in Rwanda."
Neither the Rwandan nor the Togo embassy in Washington responded to VOA's emailed requests for comment.
Internet shutdowns
As well as jailing journalists and critics, some African governments have used internet shutdowns to try to block criticism.
The digital rights group Access Now reported last year that across Africa, at least 59 recorded incidents of internet shutdowns in times of protest or political unrest took place since 2016.
Felicia Anthonio, who runs the Keep It On campaign at Access Now, told VOA that Ethiopia has been a "major perpetrator" of internet shutdowns in sub-Saharan Africa.
Access Now saw similar trends in Ethiopia's Tigray region, with internet and communication services cut off for more than two years following a conflict in the region.
Internet shutdowns are often used during critical national moments such as political unrest. Cases were seen in 2023 in both Senegal and Guinea, Anthonio said.
"During times of protest, governments impose shutdowns to quell dissent, [and] hinder mobilization and coordination," said Anthonio. "The information blackouts created by these shutdowns also make it difficult for journalists and human rights defenders to monitor and report instances of brutality by security agents effectively."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Eritrea's global ranking for journalists jailed.
