New York (CPJ) —Voice of America (VOA) reported today that its transmissions to Ethiopia are being electronic jammed. The Ethiopian government denied responsibility.
VOA cited “international shortwave radio monitors” and complaints from listeners in Ethiopia since February 22 about static the U.S. government-funded station’s daily, hour-long shortwave broadcast from Washington in Amharic—the country’s main official language. CPJ independently collected widespread local accounts of interference exclusively on the Amharic service. VOA’s half-hour broadcasts in the other two local languages, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna, were broadcasting normally, the sources said. David Borgida, a VOA spokesman told Bloomberg News the station had not identified the source of the interference.
“The Ethiopian government has long had a hostile relationship with VOA and that is why we view their denial of responsibility with some skepticism,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes. “We note that the Ethiopian government has neither offered to investigate nor fix the problem.”
In media interviews today, government spokesman Shimelis Kemal denied any government involvement. “This is absolutely a sham,” he told CPJ, adding that “the Ethiopian government does not support the policy of restricting foreign broadcasting services in the country. Such practices are prohibited in our constitution.”
Kemal was the government prosecutor who charged 21 journalists, including five Washington-based VOA journalists, with anti-state crimes over their coverage of the aftermath of disputed elections in May 2005. Under his leadership, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, the governmental authority responsible for issuing print and broadcast licenses, in 2009 ordered private station Radio Sheger to drop VOA newscasts and briefly revoked the accreditations of two VOA stringers, according to CPJ research.
Kemal told CPJ the allegations were part of a “smear campaign” by “opposition Web sites in the diaspora” ahead of general elections in May.
VOA is one of a handful of foreign-based independent stations, including Deutsche Welle and Addis Dimts Radio, a station operated by the banned opposition movement Ginbot 7, that have reported ongoing or recurring interference of their broadcasts, according to CPJ research. Also in 2009, Meleskachew Amaha, a VOA stringer, was thrown into prison for three weeks on false tax charges that were later dismissed.
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FORUM | 5 Comments
President Obama keep pouring the tax payers money to the worst dictator of Africa if that was the your promise for developing countries.
[Reply]
March 5th, 2010 at 8:50 AM
The western hypocrisy
1. Mr Brwon ” I will not attend the EU-Africa submit if Mr Mugabe attended meeting.”
Mr Brown invited the worst dictator Melese Zenawi and shove shoulder to shoulder.
2. Sanction Eritrea leaders and the Zimbabwe people
Do not sanction the Etiopian mercenary leaders because the sanction will kill many ethiopians. How come Meles’s pocket and sanction on his multimillion personal accounts affects Ethiopians. What about the Eritrea people not affected by the Mr Isaias pocket sanction?
3. The Iranian regime should listen the will of the people. We are with the iranian people.
For Ethiopia, Democracy is a process.
Shame for Mr Blair, Brown, Bush and Obama.
Hsitory will judge you. Sooner or later we will liberate our country from mercenaries.
[Reply]
March 5th, 2010 at 8:58 AM
Since they can’t arrest the VOA journalists and shut down the station, they tried to jam the broadcasting. What a pathetic bunch of criminals who are severely alergic to any kind of critisisms.
[Reply]
March 5th, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Yes, TPLF is a criminal body in service of the British still with its hidden agenda of creating Greater Tigray that Brittish Offiicers concieved after the end of the second World War
[Reply]
March 6th, 2010 at 1:04 AM
Congratulation Obama and VOA! It’s so cute to see one of your African little foster child dictator Meles so spoiled! I am sure Bush would be proud of you.
[Reply]
March 6th, 2010 at 1:49 AM