July 15: Internet partially restored

Ethiopia restored internet partially across the country according to internet monitoring group, NetBlocks. As at July 14 – exactly two weeks since the outage – users on fixed lines / wi-fi lines were the first to have service.

“Real-time metrics show that the country remains largely offline as of Wednesday 15 July, with only a rise in fixed-line/wifi lines observed in recent days. Most users remain offline as cellular networks remain cut,” NetBlocks added.

A local journalist confirmed the restoring of service via a tweet on Tuesday: “It is important to note that after two weeks, internet has been partially restored in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

“Late last week, internet was only available at embassies and select offices, government buildings. However, areas outside Addis Ababa remain disconnected,” Zecharias Zelalem tweeted.

PM Abiy’s spokeswoman defended the outage last week in an interview with the BBC: “The respect of fundamental rights and dignity of citizens also primarily include the right to live free from harm and in dignity regardless of religion, ethnicity and other protected categories.

“And if the internet is being used by certain forces to spread hate speech and vitriol, that is perpetuating and initiating ethnic, religious and communal violence, then ensuring human security supersedes.

“So it is not a blanket (just) shut off to disconnect people but it is also guaranteeing that people who want to live in peace and people’s rights to prosperity needs to be protected and guaranteed and that is what the federal government is here to do,” she said.

Internet rights groups like NetBlocks, Access Now and Paradigm Initiative joined human rights outlets like Amnesty and Human Rights to call for the restoration of connectivity. The United Nations Human Rights office also made a similar call.

July 3: Addis Ababa calm amid high security presence

Four days since the murder of famed Oromo entertainer Hachalu Hundessa, normalcy is returning to the Ethiopian capital after last few days of deadly protests, bomb blasts and deployment of the army to curb rising violence.

The BBC reports that many businesses and offices in Addis Ababa have reopened as of Friday morning. The city mayor had on Thursday evening addressed the populace urging people to get back to work.

The Africa LIVE page also says public transport has also resumed, amid heavy security presence on the streets. Clashes especially in the capital led to death of ten people with police quoted as saying there were active plans to incite communal violence.

The funeral of Hundessa, was held Thursday in his hometown of Ambo, in the Oromia region amid heavy security presence. Two people died in scuffles with security forces.

His death reignited tensions across Africa’s second most populous nation. Demonstrations resulted in the deaths of 81 people and increased political and communal tensions was only curbed by deployment of the military.

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