Ethiopia vows to expel international broadcasters CNN, BBC, Over ‘misinformation’

Ethiopia has issued warning letters to four international media houses, CNN, BBC, Reuters and Associated Press accusing them of unfair and biased reporting in the war-torn Tigray region.

The Government, through its media regulatory body, The Media Authority accuse the international media of fueling civil conflict, spreading ‘harmful’ propaganda, misinformation among others.

Ethiopian Media Authority said, in issuing licenses of operations for journalists, it expects that they would not write reports that would endanger the peaceful co-existence of the citizens, Ethiopia’s national interests or its territorial integrity.

”Since the onset of the law enforcement operation in the Northern region of Ethiopia by the Federal government, the Ethiopian Media Authority has been monitoring numerous foreign media outlets and conducting a trend analysis on the reporting patterns on the issues” the letter reads in part.

“The Authority would like to bring to your notice that despite repeated attempts, formal and informal discussions, to rectify journalistic misconduct of your news institution, no significant changes have been registered so far,”

It however said media outlets like the BBC, CNN, Reuters, and Associated Press “have consistently disseminated news that sowed seeds of animosity among people and compromised the sovereignty of the country.”

“As covered in detail within this letter the Authority has identified some of the trends of media misconduct and shady BBC [CNN, Reuters, Associated Press] reporting, which include manufacturing and dissemination of false news and news analyses on Ethiopia to assist the TPLF’s objectives.”

The statement said the media outlets have been “Reporting the Law enforcement operation as a genocidal campaign, purposely to “undermine the government’s efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region.”

“Given the Authority’s responsibility to protect the wellbeing of the Ethiopian people from the dissemination of unsubstantiated information, the Authority, hereby, extends to your Institution a written warning with an understanding that in the absence of ethical and professional journalistic operation, the Authority would be compelled to revoke the license granted to your institution to operate in Ethiopia,” the statement added.