Skip to main content

Twitter silences Africa's voice against terrorism and disinformation

 

Addis Ababa, November 06, 2021 — Twitter Inc said today it has indefinitely disabled its Trends section in Ethiopia over "threats of physical harm", the company said early today. 

Ethiopia's hashtags #NoMore and #CNNFakeNews were the trends twitter disabled claiming they were "dehumanizing". But they were actually anti-terrorism hashtags and hashtags against disinformation campaign waged against Ethiopia and it was being led by Hermela Aregawi, an Ethiopian and a Tigrayan, through the Horn of Africa Hub.

The hashtags among others were resisting a fake news being broadcasted by international media such as the CNN. Few days ago, CNN released unsubstantiated claim that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a terrorist designated group, were at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.


This claim by CNN, however, was immediately discredited by Ugandan journalist, Daniel Lutaaya, who visited Addis Ababa on November 05, just after CNN's news.

"Watching CNN, and other international media before my flight, I thought I was going to a war zone. I was in Addis yesterday. In Adama now but there is nothing, No bullets, No tension, bars are open, No roadblocks. There is actually more Millitary presence in Kampala than in Addis Ababa.", twitted the award winning journalist.

Yonatan Tesfaye, Deputy Director of Ethiopia's Media Authority, also said "We were resisting the propaganda warfare waged on us on Twitter using the hashtags #NoMore and #CNNFakeNews. Ethiopia's tweets were gaining momentum better than the propagandists. But they collaborated with Twitter Inc to silence our voice. Still, our struggle will continue one way or another. We will never be defeated while Truth is with us".

"Very interesting that Twitter disables the 'trends' feature in Ethiopia, right when our #NoMore campaign starts trending to reach 10's of millions of people. The resistance will continue!", twitted Ethio-American Developemt Council (EADC).

Hermela Aregawi, who spearheaded the resistance hashtags, said "Help us understand Twitter. You let a hate/fear/violence inciting lie of a hashtag #TigrayGenocide run amuck for a year as it fueled war in Ethiopia. And now, when voice of the peaceful majority #NoMore is trending, accounts are being suspended without real cause & trends is disabled".

Twitter has also suspended accounts of pro-Ethiopian activists who were against the terrorist group, TPLF, which is currently creating havoc in Northern Ethiopia. 

Early on November, facebook also deleted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's post after he asked citizens of Addis Ababa to defend themselves against TPLF terrorists.

Ethiopia is not Twitter's first African target, however. Last June, Twitter also deleted the tweet of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari after he said "zero-tolerance policy for all those bent on destroying our country by promoting crimes and insurrection".

Following Twitter's decision, Nigeria indefinitely suspended Twitter's operations and ordered the country's mobile networks to block access to the site in June, citing a “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Check out our popular posts.

Andargachew Tsige inspired Ethiopian forces but the Telegraph perverted his words

  ADDIS ABABA, NOVEMBER 29, 2021 — Andargachew Tsige, one of Ethiopia's prominent opposition figures, said to a group of members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) that they should resist with ferocity and with all their might the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) which has killed and robbed Ethiopia for over 30 years and yet it does not feel satiated. " Young men like you didn’t seek to come here. You were forced to be here. I t was TPLF that forced you to be here.", said Andargachew Tsige inspiring young members of the ENDF at the Wollo Front. "It [TPLF] was granted mercy by the people, by the government and by you. But it said 'no'. It wanted to eat us as it was used to, pull out our nails, torture us or die trying.", said the veteran opposition figure who was once put on death row by TPLF led government until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came and pardoned him. This is an enemy that is willing to destroy us even if it had to do
Post a Comment
Read more

University of Gondar rescinds Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin’s honorary doctorate

  ADDIS ABABA, NOVEMBER 30, 2021 - University of Gondar announced today that it has revoked the Honorary Doctorate that it gave to Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin on 2013. The University of Gondar, until 2003 known as the Gondar College of Medical Sciences, is the oldest medical school in Ethiopia. Established as the Public Health College in 1954, it is located in Gondar, Amhara region. The decision from the University comes days after a leaked Zoom meeting where British, French and Spanish diplomats along with Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) representatives including Dr. Eleni discussed ways to rescue the TPLF and topple the current government led by Abiy Ahmed. The meeting was organized by Professor Ephraim Isaac founder of the Peace and Development Center International (PDCI).   Dr. Eleni, who is the current Chief Innovation Officer at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) New York, received the Honorary Doctorate from the University of Gondar which was the Universit
Post a Comment
Read more

US Embassy in Addis proved itself to be a terrorist says Ethiopia's outspoken Minister

ADDIS ABABA, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 — In response to the United States Embassy in Addis repeated claim that security situation in Ethiopia is "deteriorating" and that Ethiopia is about to encounter a "terrorist attack", Taye Dendea, Ethiopia's Minister of Peace Building and National Reconciliation, said " huge damage has been caused by the repeated terrorist act of the [US] embassy. Thus the embassy has unequivocally proved itself to be a terrorist". The outspoken Minister blamed the US Embassy in Addis for creating unwarranted fears in an attempt to block commercial mobility to and from Ethiopia. " US Embassy, Addis Ababa, posted one badly terrorizing false information four times in five days", he said. Taye Dendea, Minister of Peace Building and National Reconciliation, Ministry of Peace [Picture Nubia Media] " I think diplomacy has its own limits and protocols. Now enough is enough!" said Taye Dendea. "It is high time to say
Post a Comment
Read more