Ethiopia orders Associated Press journalist to leave the country

Jan 22, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Ethiopia’s ministry of foreign affairs has ordered the Associated Press reporter based in that Horn of Africa country to leave within 24 hours.

Solomon Abebe, the press spokesman for the ministry, summoned AP reporter Anthony Mitchell to the ministry in the capital of Addis Ababa and told him he no longer was welcome in the country and had 24 hours to leave.

Fantahun Asres, an accreditation official with the Ministry of Information, told Mitchell, who is a British citizen, that the government believed his reporting was hostile to the Ethiopian government.

An hour later, Ethiopian state television reported Mitchell’s expulsion.

“We are aware of the order and we are seeking clarification from the Ministry of Information,” said Mike Silverman, AP’s managing editor. “We stand by our reporter and we hope that he will be able to remain in the country.”

Chris Tomlinson, AP’s bureau chief based in Nairobi, made repeated attempts to contact Ethiopian officials for clarification but was unsuccessful by late Saturday.

The Ethiopian government in recent weeks has cracked down on other journalists reporting on the country. Independent journalists and editors were among 129 people arrested in November and December and charged with treason, genocide and other offenses.

Five Ethiopian radio journalists for Voice of America living in Washington also were charged in absentia in the same case.

The country has been wracked by civil and political violence since general elections in May. Opposition leaders claimed before their arrest that the balloting was rigged, and observers from the European Union found serious problems with the voting.

More than 88 people have since died in sporadic clashes with security forces during opposition protests or religious observances.

(AP)