The struggle for democracy & free mass media in Africa: the case of Ethiopia

Yezihalem Dagnaw, Virginia,USA

Abstract

Throughout the last two centuries, Africa’s social, political, and historical arena has been marked by a series of mass unrest, riots, arbitrary arrests, detentions and disturbances that was/is clearly manifested by lack of good governances in each African nation. This paper tries to examine the role of the mass media in the struggle for civil democratic rule in Africa with a special emphasis on Ethiopia from 1991 to present. The paper argues that Ethiopia for the most part of her post-Italian occupation had been under autocratic, military, and tyrannical rule. But 1991–till now is marked by an unprecedented dictatorship leading to the suppression and muscling down of democratic opposing forces and the eventual betrayal of the May 15, 2005 national elections won by opposition parties, which was generally backed by the public. The mass media, solely owned and set for the very benefit of African dictatorial governments, have never fought for the will of the masses independence. As to the Ethiopian case, the media firmly stood entirely in favor of the incumbent dictatorial regime and serve as usurping the people. In spite of the hostile environment created by African dictators such as arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists and bloggers, political assassinations, extra-judicial killings, abuse of human rights, closure of media houses, seizure of publications and private properties and among others, the Ethiopian media kept its resilience in the anti-democratic struggle. The paper attempts to conclude that the struggle by the masses against the tyrannical regime since 1991 and the very control of the media by the African governments has extensively eroded the hope of Africans/Ethiopians to good governance.

 

The struggle for democracy & free mass media in Africa: the case of Ethiopia

Throughout the last two centuries, Africa’s social, political, and historical arena has been marked by a series of mass unrest, riots, arbitrary arrests, detentions and disturbances that was/is clearly manifested by lack of good governances in each African nation. This paper tries to examine the role of the mass media in the struggle for civil democratic rule in Africa with a special emphasis on Ethiopia from 1991 to present. The paper argues that Ethiopia for the most part of her post-Italian occupation had been under autocratic, military, and tyrannical rule. But 1991–till now is marked by an unprecedented dictatorship leading to the suppression and muscling down of democratic opposing forces and the eventual betrayal of the May 15, 2005 national elections won by opposition parties, which was generally backed by the public. The mass media, solely owned and set for the very benefit of African dictatorial governments, have never fought for the will of the masses independence. As to the Ethiopian case, the media firmly stood entirely in favor of the incumbent dictatorial regime and serve as usurping the people. In spite of the hostile environment created by African dictators such as arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists and bloggers, political assassinations, extra-judicial killings, abuse of human rights, closure of media houses, seizure of publications and private properties and among others, the Ethiopian media kept its resilience in the anti-democratic struggle. The paper attempts to conclude that the struggle by the masses against the tyrannical regime since 1991 and the very control of the media by the African governments has extensively eroded the hope of Africans/Ethiopians to good governance.