Ethiopia Limits Social Media Usage Following Church Rift Protests Resulting in 30 Deaths
Following recent tumultuous events that arose from a disagreement within Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church, access to various social media platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, TikTok, and Telegram, has been limited, as reported by Internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The unrest began when three church officials declared themselves as archbishops and established their own governing body, causing demonstrations to break out from both supporters and opponents of the move.
The church statement mentions that 30 lives have been lost in the recent protests. The church is scheduled to hold a protest on Sunday but the government has prohibited it due to concerns over potential violence. The Ethiopian government has not responded to requests for comments and the spokesperson, Legesse Tulu, has not been available for any statements. The government has stated that the ban was put in place to ensure public safety and prevent further escalation of violence.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which is followed by over 40% of the country’s population, has a strong connection to the Ethiopian state. In its statement, the church stated its determination to proceed with the planned Sunday protest, despite the government’s ban, claiming that it viewed the ban as an attempt to completely eliminate the church.
Oromiya, inhabited by Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, has experienced ongoing violent conflict as a part of the broader unrest in the multi-ethnic country where the distribution of power has long been a source of contention between federal and regional authorities.
In the past, the Ethiopian government has exercised the power to regulate internet access during periods of political unrest. This was evident during the protests in 2020 that arose after the death of a beloved singer from Oromiya, and also in the northern Tigray region where phone and internet communications were discontinued for the majority of the two-year conflict that ultimately resulted in a ceasefire in November.