Germany’s international broadcaster says move threatens press freedom ahead of 2026 elections
By Bunmi Yekini
Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has condemned a decision by Ethiopia’s media regulator to suspend the work of its nine local correspondents, calling the move a serious restriction on press freedom in the country.
The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) issued a letter on Thursday ordering the “temporary” suspension of all journalistic activities carried out by DW’s correspondents, accusing the broadcaster of violating government media proclamations, including those related to hate speech and false information.
“We are very concerned about the restriction on our reporting in Ethiopia,” DW Director General Barbara Massing said in a statement on Friday. “Following the discontinuation of the language services of Voice of America, Deutsche Welle offers the most widely accessed Amharic-language program by an international media outlet in Ethiopia. Millions of Ethiopians continue to rely on us to provide them with access to independent information.”
DW said the EMA’s letter did not include specific allegations against its coverage. The broadcaster has called on Ethiopian authorities to clarify the accusations and to immediately lift the suspension.
The nine DW correspondents in Ethiopia have halted all reporting until further notice, though Amharic-language programming will continue from DW’s headquarters in Bonn, Germany, and through staff based elsewhere. DW said its radio and TV services reach about 10% of Ethiopians over the age of 14.
The suspension comes amid growing concern over shrinking media freedoms in Africa’s second-most populous country, where independent journalism has faced severe restrictions since the outbreak of the civil war in Tigray in 2020.
Press freedom advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have repeatedly urged the Ethiopian government to release imprisoned reporters. Ethiopia currently ranks 145th out of 180 countries on RSF’s 2024 Press Freedom Index.
DW said it “fully expects that our colleagues will be able to resume their work immediately and without restriction.”
The incident adds to international concern over Ethiopia’s media climate ahead of its general elections scheduled for June 2026.