“The newspaper’s administration officially informed the police about the incidents but the reponse that surfaced much later was hopeless,” Dawit Kebede, executive editor of Awramba Times, said.
Fitsum Mamo, editor-in-chief of Awramba Times, was also reported as saying: “The way how the law enforcement side trivialized the incident and walked away like nothing happened is saddening.”
The attackers remain at large, and the staff fear similar attacks in the future.
ADDIS ABABA – The top editor of Awramba Times newspaper resigned on Friday after facing government threats over an article which brought forth fresh memories of the May 2005 elections in which government forces gunned down nearly 200 civilians and quelled anti-government protests.
Woubshet Taye, editor-in-chief of the Amharic weekly, quit his job after
Desta Tesfaw, director general of the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA), warned him that his paper was “intentionally inciting and misguiding the public by promoting the bad sides of the 2005 election.”
Ethiopians are once again going to the polls on May 23rd.
“You will be fully responsible for any bloodshed that may occur in connection with the coming election,” the official warned the editor, according to an email message sent to Ethiomedia.
Following the threat, the journalist summoned the staff, and announced his resignation.
EBA, a government body which issues broadcasting licenses, closely monitors the media don’t step out of government line. EBA was reportedly preparing “multiple charges” against Awramba Times.
Woubshet and Dawit Kebede, the executive editor, came under fire for writing an article which appeared last week, reminiscing about an opposition rally held on May 8, 2005, the grandest opposition rally ever in which conservative estimates put the number of pro-democracy marchers at over 2 million city residents of the Ethiopian capital.
