Teddy Sew

Love life and love others፤ "ኢትዮጵያ የዓለሙ መፋረጃ"

[Tingirt Gebretsadik Tekle @TingirtTekle]

The images from Wollega, Ethiopia are reminiscent of Rwanda. Thousands of ethnic Amhara survivors, carrying what little they have left, fleeing a killing zone. This is not displacement. This is expulsion by terror. The world cannot claim it did not see it this time.

@_AfricanUnion @hrw @USEmbassyAddis @PaulKagame @WilliamsRuto

[Neamin Zeleke @NeaminZeleke]

#Ethiopia — Free Press Under Siege: From Reform to Repression Under #AbiyAhmed

The indefinite suspension of The Reporter (@TheReporterET), Ethiopia's oldest privately owned independent newspaper, deserves unequivocal condemnation. The November 2, 2026 decision by the Ethiopian Media Authority is yet another serious assault on freedom of expression, independent journalism, and the public's fundamental right to information.

Founded in 1995, The Reporter has served the Ethiopian public for more than three decades under the motto “Free Press, Free Speech, Free Spirit.” Silencing such an institution is not merely an attack on a newspaper. It undermines independent scrutiny, informed public debate, transparency, and the accountability essential to democratic governance.

As Addis Standard (@addisstandard) rightly argued in defense of press freedom: “Informing the public is not a privilege granted by discretion, but a public service protected by law.” The suspension of The Reporter is not an isolated incident. It must be understood within the broader, well-documented pattern of repression and the systematic shrinking of media and civic space under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his ruling Prosperity Party.

‼️ The Documented Record Is Alarming:

* 244 arrest incidents involving 201 journalists and media workers (2019–early 2024) — documented by Ethiopian Press Freedom Defenders.
* At least 63 journalists detained during the 2020–2022 Tigray war — documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
* At least 54 journalists and media workers forced into exile since 2020 — identified by CPJ as of June 2024.
* 2026 Press Freedom Ranking: 148th out of 180 countries — Ethiopia's position in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, compared with 110th in 2019.
* 2026 crackdown on independent media: Wazema Radio's license revoked in January, Addis Standard's registration revoked in February, and The Reporter's registration indefinitely suspended in November.
These figures represent different measures and overlapping periods and should not be added together.

From Hope to Repression

In 2018, Ethiopia witnessed a promising opening. Imprisoned journalists were released, hundreds of previously blocked websites became accessible, and independent journalism briefly regained space to breathe.

What followed was a disturbing and sustained reversal. Arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without due process, newsroom raids, intimidation, enforced exile, restrictions on foreign correspondents, internet shutdowns, and the suspension of independent media outlets have progressively eroded the freedoms that the initial reforms appeared to promise.

This is a profound crisis of democratic accountability, constitutional rights, institutional legitimacy, and the public's freedom to know. When independent journalists are intimidated, imprisoned, or silenced for investigating corruption, exposing human rights violations, questioning official narratives, or reporting on wars and economic hardship, the public loses one of its most essential instruments for holding those in power accountable.

And when the state increasingly determines which voices may be heard, which facts may be reported, and which narratives may be challenged, the boundary between legitimate media regulation and political censorship becomes dangerously blurred. For a country already engulfed in multiple armed conflicts, mass displacement, multidimensional poverty, economic hardship, deep political divisions, and institutional fragility, the systematic restriction of independent journalism risks further aggravating an already devastating national polycrisis.

#Ethiopia needs more independent journalism, not less. More transparency, not enforced silence. More accountability, not censorship. Silencing the press does not silence the truth. It merely makes the search for truth, the exposure of injustice, and the struggle for accountability more difficult. A nation cannot build a just, democratic, peaceful, and resilient future by suppressing the very freedoms that make such a future possible.

@CPJAfrica @amnesty @hrw @UNHumanRights

#PressFreedom #FreeSpeech #HumanRights #TheReporter #AddisStandard

I kept the statement's central argument intact: the suspension of The Reporter is not just a media-freedom issue; it is part of Ethiopia's larger crisis of governance, accountability, institutional legitimacy, and democratic rights.

The final two paragraphs now connect the condemnation directly to the broader framework of our Ethiopia Polycrisis Lab.

#Ethiopia #TheReporter #AddisStandard #PressFreedom #FreeSpeech #HumanRights #AbiyAhmed

[Reuters Africa @ReutersAfrica]

At least 60 people were killed in two separate attacks in Ethiopia's conflict-hit Oromiya region in the past week, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church said. https://t.co/8ubuVFeIsw

[Teddy Sew @AwassaTeddy]

የንፁኃን ጭፍጨፋን ጠባብ የፖለቲካ ዓላማ ማስፈፀሚያ ስልት አድርጎ የሚያምንና ይህንንም በተደጋጋሚ ተግብሮ ያሳየ አመራር እና ቡድን መገኛቸው በ13ኛው ክፍለ ዘመን እና በታሪክ መፃህፍት ውስጥ እንጅ በኃገረ መንግስት ስልጣን ላይ አይደለም:: #Ethiopia

[Senait Senay, PhD @SenaitSenay]

.@AFNM_FA calls for

"
1. The United Nations and the African Union to give the situation in Arsi and Wollega urgent attention, support independent investigations, and take appropriate measures to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities.
2. ⁠International and regional human rights institutions to document reported violations, preserve evidence, and pursue appropriate legal proceedings through competent national or international mechanisms, where the applicable legal requirements are met.
3. ⁠Relevant international and regional bodies to consider targeted sanctions and other appropriate measures against individuals and entities credibly implicated in serious human rights violations, in accordance with applicable legal frameworks and due process.
4. ⁠Humanitarian organizations and international partners to support affected communities by facilitating access to emergency medical care, food, shelter, psychosocial support, and other essential humanitarian assistance.

The international community must not allow repeated atrocities against civilians to become normalized. The protection of innocent lives must take precedence over political considerations, and credible allegations of mass atrocities must receive a timely, impartial, and effective response."
________________

#EOTCunderattack
#AmharaGenocide

[Dawit @HOAAffairs]

THANK YOU, BBC WORLD NEWS, FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE PLIGHT OF THE AMHARA PEOPLE AND THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.

Thank you, BBC, for drawing international attention to the reported massacre of more than 60 Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, including children. This is not an isolated atrocity but part of a longstanding pattern of violence against Amhara civilians and attacks on their religious communities. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has documented decades of persecution. I hold Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government politically responsible for protecting these communities and demand an independent investigation into allegations of state complicity, ethnic persecution, and attacks on the Church. I am particularly concerned by accounts of remarks attributed to Abiy at a meeting in Nazret, which deserve independent scrutiny. The Amhara and Tigrayan peoples share Semitic linguistic and cultural traditions, and their rights must be defended without qualification. The international Christian community, particularly organizations that mobilized over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, must now bring equal attention to Ethiopia. No Christian conscience should remain silent while innocent children, priests, and worshippers are killed.

#AmharaGenocide #ChristianPersecution #Ethiopia #ReligiousFreedom

@OpenDoorsUS @persecutionnews @FRCdc @ADFinternational @USCIRF @ACLJ @CBNNews @ChristianPost @CTmagazine @WorldRelief @SamaritansPurse @GlobalChristianRelief @SaveThePersecuted @InDefenseofChrist @WEAnews @VoiceOfTheMartyrs @OpenDoorsUK @CSW_UK @acn_int @ADFIntl @ECLJ_Official @CNEWA @OSCE @coe @Europarl_EN @eu_eeas @UK_FoRBEnvoy @FCDOGovUK @UNHumanRights @UN_SPExperts @UN @amnesty @hrw @BBCWorld @BBCNews @Reuters @AP @AFP @FRANCE24 @dwnews @SkyNews @CNN @FoxNews @Newsmax @LemkinInstitute #AmharaGenocide #EOTCGenocide #EthiopianOrthodoxChurchGenocide #OrthodoxGenocide #RCGenocide #AbiyAhmedAli #ChristianPersecution #ReligiousPersecution #Ethiopia

https://t.co/FgopbpBFmn

[Mesay Mekonnen @mamamesay]

የሆነ ነገር በቃ ልክ አይደለም። ኢትዮጵያ በጽኑ ታማለች። ይሄ እየሆነ እኛ ምን እያደረግን ነው? እንደተለመደው ወጥተን እየገባን? ምግብ እየበላን ውሃ እየጠጣን? ህይወት ቀጥላለች ማለት ነው? ምንም እንዳልተፈጠረ የዘውትር ተግባራችንን ቀጥለነዋል? እውነት ምን ነካን? የብልጽግና ደጋፊዎች፥ እዚህ መንደር እየመጣችሁ ይህን ግፍ ምክንያት የምታለብሱ ጨካኞች፥ ሁላችሁም ነገ ትጠየቃለችሁ። ይሄም ጊዜ ያልፋል።

[BBC News Africa @BBCAfrica]

More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the country's Orthodox Church. https://t.co/ug4i1MJWng

[House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority @HouseForeignGOP]

The continued targeted attacks against Christians in Ethiopia are completely unacceptable.

All parties to the conflict need to take steps to ensure that Christians and all people of faith are protected from this violence and that the perpetrators are punished.

[The American-Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee @AmericaEthiopia]

AMERICAN ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (AEPAC)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALL FOR URGENT U.S. DIPLOMATIC ACTION ON THE KILLINGS OF CHRISTIAN CIVILIANS AND CLERGY IN ETHIOPIA

The American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (AEPAC) expresses its profound alarm over continued reports of the killings and abductions of Christian civilians and attacks affecting clergy in Shirka and Honkolo Wabe districts of Arsi Zone, eastern Ethiopia, approximately 170 kilometers from Addis Ababa. According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's report, the latest incidents occurred on October 17, 2026 (Tikimt 7, 2019 E.C.) . These recurring incidents underscore the urgent need for effective civilian protection, credible investigations, and decisive action to prevent further loss of life.

The Ethiopian government has a fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens, safeguard religious communities and places of worship, and ensure that those responsible for criminal acts are held accountable. These tragedies must not become normalized, and the suffering of affected communities must not be met with indifference.

We specifically call on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to recognize that responding to these reports is both a moral imperative and a serious diplomatic responsibility. The defense of human dignity, religious freedom, and the right to life cannot be limited to declarations of principle. When Christian civilians and clergy face recurring violence, principled leadership requires timely and meaningful engagement.

We urge Secretary Rubio to publicly address the reported killings, direct the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa to raise these concerns urgently with Ethiopian authorities, and press for concrete measures to protect Christian civilians and clergy, secure the release of abducted persons, conduct credible and impartial investigations, and hold perpetrators accountable under the law.

We are also deeply troubled by the lack of a forceful response from Western diplomatic missions, the African Union, and the United Nations. Their silence in the face of recurring reports of deadly violence is difficult to reconcile with their stated commitments to human rights, religious freedom, civilian protection, and the prevention of atrocities. International engagement must come before a crisis becomes irreversible—not after a nation has been devastated by violence that timely action might have helped prevent.

We therefore call on the United States and the wider international community to move beyond expressions of concern and pursue sustained diplomatic engagement, measurable civilian-protection commitments, and accountability. The Ethiopian government must be pressed to fulfill its responsibility to protect all citizens, regardless of religious or ethnic identity.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and express our solidarity with the injured, those reportedly abducted, affected clergy, displaced households, and all communities living under the threat of violence.

As an organization committed to strengthening U.S.–Ethiopia relations, we believe that defending human life, protecting religious freedom, and upholding human dignity are essential to our shared values and a lasting bilateral partnership.

The people of Ethiopia, especially Christians living in Arsi Zone, deserve protection, justice, and peace. The people of Ethiopia deserve a future free from recurring violence and fear. The time for meaningful action is now.

👇🔗🔗
https://t.co/u1KTJbL3qd

@WhiteHouse @StateDept @USEmbassyAddis @UAEthio @UNOSAPG @VP @realDonaldTrump
@TheIRD, @StateDRL, @AsstSecStateAF, @richghazal,
@markdtooley, @OrthodoxyNews,
@USEmbassyAddis
@indefchristians,
@RepJohnJames,
@housegop, @Repsarajacobs,
@YoungKimCA, @RepJimBaird, @CongressmanKean,
@RepMillsPress, @RepGaramendi,
@jakejsullivan, @IMFNews, @StateDept, @JusticeOfficeUS,
@WorldBank, @WorldBankAfrica,
@StateIRF, @USCIRF, @IrfSecretariat, @Sean_ADFIntl,
@michaelgwaltz,@RepMarkWalker,@RepRileyMoore,@TomColeOk04,@HouseAppropsGOP,@LaurenBinDC,@SecRubio

[Dawit @HOAAffairs]

Thank you to the Daily Mail for bringing international attention to the horrific massacre of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia's Oromia region. The reported killing of more than 40 innocent civilians is not an isolated tragedy but part of a deeply disturbing pattern of violence, displacement, and persecution affecting Amhara communities and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. For far too long, the suffering of these communities has received insufficient international attention. Every murdered child, every grieving family, and every destroyed home represents a human tragedy that demands more than expressions of sympathy. It demands independent investigation, accountability, and sustained international scrutiny. I urge the Daily Mail and other international media organizations to continue investigating these atrocities and amplifying the voices of the victims. Silence must never become complicity.

#AmharaGenocide #ChristianPersecution #Ethiopia #ReligiousFreedom

@OpenDoorsUS

@persecutionnews

@FRCdc
@USCIRF
@ACLJ
@CBNNews
@ChristianPost
@CTmagazine
@WorldRelief
@SamaritansPurse
@OpenDoorsUK
@CSW_UK
@acn_int
@ADFIntl
@ECLJ_Official
@CNEWA
@OSCE
@coe
@Europarl_EN
@eu_eeas
@UK_FoRBEnvoy
@FCDOGovUK
@UNHumanRights
@UN_SPExperts
@UN
@amnesty
@hrw
@BBCWorld
@BBCNews
@Reuters
@AP
@AFP
@FRANCE24
@dwnews
@SkyNews
@CNN
@FoxNews
@Newsmax
@LemkinInstitute
#AmharaGenocide #EOTCGenocide #EthiopianOrthodoxChurchGenocide #OrthodoxGenocide #RCGenocide #AbiyAhmedAli #ChristianPersecution #ReligiousPersecution #Ethiopia

https://t.co/HVdzo22aKd

[ᴇʟɪᴀꜱ ᴍᴇꜱᴇʀᴇᴛ @EliasMeseret]

ይህ ሁሉ ህዝብ ሲያልቅ 'RIP' እያሉ ማለፍ መፍትሄ አይሆንም፣ የአሜሪካ መንግስት በቅርቡ ናይጄርያ ውስጥ ባሉ ክርስቲያኖች ላይ የሚፈፀም ግድያን አስታኮ እርምጃ እንደወሰደው የእኛንም ሀገር ጉዳይ ትከሩት እንዲሰጥ ይህን ከታች ያዘጋጀሁትን መልዕክት በማጋራት ድምፅ እናሰማ።

URGENT: Targeted attacks against civilian Christian communities in Ethiopia’s Arsi zone continue to be downplayed while innocent lives are lost.

Silence equals impunity. We are calling on @StateDept, @USCIRF, @HouseForeign, @SenateForeign, @SecRubio, @USEmbassyAddis, @realDonaldTrump
to take immediate action:

- Impose the Global Magnitsky act on perpetrators and complicit officials.
- Demand accountability for human rights violations in Arsi.
- Protect international religious freedom.

#ProtectArsiChristians #EthiopiaHumanRights

[Teddy Sew @AwassaTeddy]

End. @StateDept, @USCIRF, @HouseForeign, @SenateForeign, @SecRubio, @USEmbassyAddis, @realDonaldTrump take action:
Impose Global Magnitsky act on perpetrators.
Demand accountability for human rights violations in Arsi.

#ProtectArsiChristians #EthiopiaHumanRights
@HOAAffairs

[Teddy Sew @AwassaTeddy]

🧵1/2 URGENT: Targeted attacks against civilian Christian communities in Ethiopia’s Arsi zone continue to be ignored while innocent lives are massacred .
Silence equals impunity. @StateDept , @USCIRF, @HouseForeign, @SenateForeign, @SecRubio, @USEmbassyAddis, @realDonaldTrump

[Neamin Zeleke @NeaminZeleke]

የ #አብይአህመድ የኦህዴድ ብልጽግናው አገዛዝ በልዩ ልዩ የ #ኢትዮጵያ ማእዘናት የሚለኩሳቸው እሳቶች መቀጣጠላቸውን ፣ በህዝብ በንብረት ላይ የሚደረሰው እልቂትና ውደመት ቀጥለሏል። " ከጥቂት ወራ ት በፊት "#ዴሬዳዋ፣ #ጅጅጋ #ሞያሌ የኦሮሞ ናቸው" የሚለው የኦህዴድ ብልጽግና የተስፋፊነትና የበላይነት አጀንዳ በየመድረኩ ፣ በየሚዲያው ሰደጋገም እንደቆየ ይታወሳል ። ይህን ተከትሎ ባለፉት ጥቂት ቀናት ለዘመናት በሰላም በኖሩ የአካባባዊው ነዋሪ የ #ሶማሌና የ #ኦሮሞ ማህበረስብ መካከል በተፈጠረው ብሄር ተኮር ግጭት በርካታ ዜጎች ተገድለዋል፣ ከፍተኛ የንብረት ውድመት እየደረሰ ነው።
#ሞያሌ ውጥረት ተባብሷል - "መፍትሔውን ከአላህ እንጂ ከብልጽግና አንጠብቅም'' የ #ሶማሌ ተወላጆች
https://t.co/UBt6fHEuYz

[Teddy Sew @AwassaTeddy]

The @StateDept need to deploy an equally sophisticated diplomat for the super complex political landscape in #Ethiopia asap. @USEmbassyAddis #Massinga is viewed, by many, as not only unfit but also a rubber stamp of the inept @AbiyAhmedAli #Ethiopia @HOAAffairs @NeaminZeleke

[Dagmawi M. Belay @dagmawi_belay]

🚨 URGENT: Today in Dera Woreda, South Gondar Zone (Amhara Region), an Ethiopian regime strike hit a school, killing over 24 children. Civilian targets and schools are being bombed while the international community remains silent.

#AmharaGenocide #StopAmharaGenocide

@AFP @Reuters @BloombergAfrica @cnni @BBCAfrica @AmnestyEARO @amnestyusa @amnesty @guardian @nytimes @TheEconomist @NewYorker @BostonGlobe @USATODAY @FRANCE24 @UNHumanRights @UNOSAPG @washingtonpost @WashTimes

[Teddy Sew @AwassaTeddy]

ስለ ከብት ስጋ ዋጋ ግራና ቀኝ ተሰልፋችሁ ሙግት በማድረግ ሀገራዊ ኃላፊነታችሁን እየተወጣችሁ ያላችሁ ምሁራን እናመሰግናለን:: እስቲ አሁን ደግሞ ስለንፁኃን ኢትዮጵያዊያን ስጋና ህይወት ጭፍጨፋ ትንሽ ተንፍሱ!! #Ethiopia @HOAAffairs

[Neamin Zeleke @NeaminZeleke]

ሰላም ወግኖች፣
ይህ መደመጥ ያለበት ነው፣ የ #አብይአህመድ ስራዊት የሚገኝበት ሁኔታ ። ህይወታቸውን ያተረፉ የመከላከያ አባላት መልዕክት ።

https://t.co/v4gElT9PpE

[Dawit @HOAAffairs]

In 2019, Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize for reconciling Ethiopia and Eritrea. Seven years later, Ethiopia is fractured by internal conflicts, former allies have become adversaries, and the Horn of Africa once again faces the shadow of war. How did the promise of peace give way to renewed confrontation? This chronology traces the political decisions, shifting alliances, and increasingly contentious maritime ambitions that have shaped the region since 2018. At its center stands a prime minister whose leadership raises profound questions about political responsibility, regional security, and the consequences of unfulfilled promises. From Nobel Peace to the Shadow of War. My latest essay examines how we arrived at this dangerous crossroads.

https://t.co/74JvhDT8CN