The other four named–Daniel Birhane, Fitsum Birhane, Alula Solomon, and Senait Mebrahtu–are Tigrayan activists and TPLF supporters. This pro-democracy social movement played the single most critical role in ushering Abiy to power. It also indicates a sinister political agenda that aims to discredit publicly, slander, and vilify individuals with significant voice and authority.įour of the eight individuals accused of “destroying Ethiopia”–Ezekiel Gebissa, Awol Allo, Etana Habte, and Tsegaye Ararssa–are Oromo academics based in the West who have played an active part in supporting the Oromo protests of 2014-2018.
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However, the profile of individuals included in the latest series of politicised prosecutions shows the government has escalated intolerance to dissent and opposition. Over the last year, authorities locked up every prominent opponent of the prime minister, subjecting leaders of political parties, journalists, and other dissenting voices to prolonged detention without charges and politically motivated show trials. The use of the legal system to silence critical voices and eliminate political adversaries by the Abiy administration is not new.
The Federal Police Commission told the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that it had issued warrants for eight individuals accused of using “various media platforms to disintegrate the Ethiopian state” and 27 military officers accused of “embezzlement and unlawful enrichment.” Awol Allo, Senior Lecturer in Law at Keele University in the United Kingdom.
Among the accused are Ezekiel Gebissa, professor of History at Kettering University in the United States, and Dr. This action marked a significant escalation in a vicious intimidation campaign against independent voices, particularly critics of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. On November 28, 2020, the Ethiopian government issued arrest warrants for prominent scholars and activists based in Western countries.
The war in Tigray heightened the stakes and made Abiy’s tactics more visible to international onlookers, but the pattern of disinformation, intolerance, and repression we observe today has characterized Abiy’s time in office. Soon, this land will be yours to discover.The Ethiopian regime is by far the biggest source of a concerted and well-financed disinformation campaign. Layer upon layer of human history and a wealth of natural wonders are waiting to be explored, from dramatic rock formations and sand-swept dunes to archaeological ruins that trace the lives of the ancient cultures who built cities here. This largely undiscovered expanse holds a timeless mystery that has been carried through its complex history. Today, Old Town AlUla is an abandoned labyrinth of streets tightly packed to create a defensive wall, and seemingly built over an ancient settlement. Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the principal southern city of the Nabataean kingdom, famed for its spectacular monumental tombs. With oases dotting the area, it offered a much-needed respite for weary travellers, becoming a popular place to rest, commune and recharge.ĪlUla was also capital of the ancient kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan, which controlled the caravan trade. For thousands of years, northwest Saudi Arabia attracted people who came to take advantage of the abundant resources offered by its fertile oases.ĪlUla was one of them, and became a vital crossroads along the famous incense-trading routes running from southern Arabia, north into Egypt, and beyond.