Text of report in English by Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on 24 March
HRW [Human Rights Watch] has been criticizing the press freedom in Ethiopia and many have [been] misled by its web of groundless reports. However, the situation in Ethiopia differs from what HRW is presenting.
Seeing believes! The newspapers in Ethiopia are running their businesses without any interference and criticize the government and other issues in the country with no reservation. There are various private newspapers and magazines in the country. None of them is restricted from running their reporting. They severely criticize implementation problems in various sectors. They also criticize the executive body without any reservation, even using various cartoons. It is right and they need to do it anytime. Every criticism is viewed by the government as constructive indicator to fulfil gaps on its daily roots.
Many international and regional organizations express their witness that the press freedom in Ethiopia is quite good.
Journalists for African Renaissance (JAR) is one among many others that highly praised the efforts of the government of Ethiopia to create conducive atmosphere for media practitioners and ensuring press freedom in the country.
Moha Dahir Farah is the president of JAR. She hailed the efforts made by Ethiopia to work closely with any media in that country so as to enhance democracy and good governance.
"Ethiopia is doing its level best to promote its developmental and democratization efforts by understanding the role the media plays in informing the public," she said.
The journalists and their representatives confirm that there is a press freedom in Ethiopia. The real situation on the ground also witnesses that press freedom is assured both in the constitution and in practice in the country.
Contrary to that reality, HRW has been blackmailing all developments in the country. It seems that the reason has become public secret that assures HRW is very much interested in politics and its hidden agendas than the respect of the rights of people.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Addis Ababa, in English.
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