Ethiopia suspends Tigray TV broadcasts after announcing an alliance against the government

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The Ethiopian Media Authority announced the suspension of broadcasting Tigray TV indefinitely, starting today, Monday, in a decision that comes days after escalation of tension around the region and coinciding with the station broadcasting statements by a coalition of armed groups that declared its opposition to the federal government.

The authority said that the decision was based on the results of monitoring the station’s media content, which concluded, according to its assessment, that messages that threaten the country’s security and national interests continued to be broadcast, in addition to content that it described as inciting conflict and encouraging extremism.

The authority explained, in its statement, that Tigray TV had resumed broadcasting after the peace agreement concluded between the federal government and the Tigray Liberation Front in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 2, 2022, according to which the ban on the station was lifted in accordance with the agreement.

According to the authority, the new suspension decision came within the framework of its legal powers and obligations, and will continue for an indefinite period, without specifying in its statement a possible date for the resumption of broadcasting.

The Ethiopian Media Authority also warned local and international media against relying on Tigray TV as a source of information, or broadcasting and rebroadcasting materials produced by the station in contravention of its directive.

The Authority confirmed that it will take the necessary legal and administrative measures against any media outlet proven to have violated these instructions.

The decision came after Tigray TV broadcast statements by a coalition of armed groups that announced, yesterday, Sunday, the formation of a coalition aimed at coordinating their movements against the federal government and overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, at a time when the Amhara and Oromia regions are witnessing ongoing fighting, while tensions are rising again in Tigray.

The coalition includes seven armed groups, including the Tigray forces, the Fano nationalists in Amhara, and the Oromia Liberation Army, in addition to other organizations active in different regions of the country. Vice President of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, Emmanuel Assefa, said that the coalition's goal is to overthrow the government and pave the way for the formation of a transitional government, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Assefa added that the new alliances aim to change the federal government and open the way for a transitional phase, while the formation of the coalition comes after previous moves to bring closer the positions of armed groups active in different regions of Ethiopia.

In August, Fano leader Zemen Kassie announced the unification of the movement's factions under one leadership, and said that groups representing several Ethiopian nationalities and regions had formed an alliance to coordinate their movements against Abiy Ahmed's government.

The Oromo Liberation Army also announced on September 17 that broader cooperation between armed opposition forces was beginning to take shape, but at the same time made clear that this cooperation did not represent a comprehensive political agreement.