Ethiopia Suspends Tigray Television Indefinitely, Warns Other Media Against Rebroadcasting Its Content

The Ethiopian Media Authority has indefinitely suspended Tigray Television, the regional broadcaster administered by the Tigray regional government, accusing it of repeatedly airing content that the regulator says threatens national and public security, encourages conflict and promotes extremism.

The Authority also warned other Ethiopian media organizations against rebroadcasting, distributing or amplifying content produced by Tigray Television, saying it could take legal and administrative measures against outlets that disregard the order. According to the regulator, digital, broadcast and print media are prohibited from using Tigray Television as a source or redistributing material it considers to have been transmitted unlawfully.

The suspension came a day after Tigray Television broadcast the announcement of a newly formed alliance of seven Ethiopian armed and political organizations that says it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establish what it describes as an inclusive transitional government.

The announcement was read in a recorded broadcast by Zemene Kassie, chairman of the Amhara Fano National Movement. The alliance brings together organizations that have previously fought on opposing sides of Ethiopia’s conflicts, including the Amhara Fano National Movement, Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Oromo Liberation Army, Ogaden National Liberation Front, Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement and Gumuz People’s Democratic Movement.

The coalition’s establishment represents an unusual alignment among movements with sharply different political histories and constituencies. Some of its members were on opposing sides during the 2020–2022 Tigray war. The groups said they had agreed to cooperate against the federal government despite those differences.

Media Authority cites national security and professional standards

In its statement, the Ethiopian Media Authority said Tigray Television had an obligation to operate according to professional standards and Ethiopian media law but alleged that its monitoring had found repeated broadcasts containing messages that endangered “national and public security” and “national interests,” encouraged conflict and promoted extremism.

The regulator said its mandate includes monitoring licensed media organizations and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and professional standards.

The timing of the decision, coming immediately after the alliance announcement was aired, has linked the suspension closely to the rapidly escalating political and security confrontation between the federal government and several armed opposition movements.

Tigray Television rejects allegations, calls suspension media repression

Tigray Television rejected the regulator’s accusations and described the suspension as an act of media repression and a violation of press freedom.

In its response, the broadcaster said the allegations against it were “far from the truth” and argued that, as a media organization operated by the Tigray regional government, its responsibility is to represent what it considers the interests and concerns of the people it serves.

The station said its reporting has sought to highlight the suffering, displacement and insecurity experienced by people in Tigray and to advocate for peace, development and democracy in both Tigray and Ethiopia.

It argued that performing those functions should not constitute grounds for suspension and called on the Ethiopian Media Authority to reverse the decision and lift the ban.

These are Tigray Television’s stated positions; the Ethiopian Media Authority disputes the station’s characterization of its broadcasts.

Warning extends beyond Tigray Television

A significant element of the Authority’s decision is that it does not affect Tigray Television alone.

The regulator warned other media organizations that rebroadcasting or amplifying the suspended station’s programming could result in legal or administrative action.

That provision potentially broadens the dispute from a regulatory action against one regional broadcaster into a wider question over how Ethiopian news organizations can report information originally aired by Tigray Television.

The restriction could be particularly consequential because major political, military and humanitarian developments in Tigray are frequently first reported by regional media before being picked up by Ethiopian and international outlets.

Decision comes amid renewed tensions in Tigray

The suspension comes against a backdrop of renewed security tensions between the federal government and political and military forces in Tigray.

In recent months, Ethiopia’s military has carried out several drone strikes against Tigrayan forces, according to conflict-monitoring data, while reports of clashes and military movements have raised concerns about the stability of the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended the two-year Tigray war.

The announcement of the seven-group alliance has added another dimension to those tensions. The new coalition says its objective is to replace the existing federal government with an inclusive transitional arrangement, while the federal government has previously maintained that political disputes should be addressed through constitutional institutions and the national dialogue process.

The precise level of military coordination among the seven organizations remains unclear, despite their declaration of political cooperation.

The suspension of Tigray Television therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as tensions involving the federal government, Tigrayan forces and other armed organizations are increasingly intersecting with disputes over media access, political messaging and control of information.

Tigray Television says it will continue to oppose the suspension and has formally demanded that the Ethiopian Media Authority lift the measure.