Ethiopia’s media regulator has suspended the licence of privately-owned Addis Standard news site over what it termed as “advancing terrorist group’s agenda”.
The news site announced that it was “deeply disturbed” by the decision and had suspended operations from Thursday.
The regulator said Addis Standard was “legitimising a terrorist group as a ‘Defence Force'”.
The company that owns the newspaper, Jakken Publishing, said there was no “due explanation” and that it was pursuing all avenues to ensure freedom of press is upheld.
The regulator reaffirmed commitment to press freedom and said that “freedom comes with responsibility and accountability”.
The Addis Standard has been reporting on the offensive by rebel groups in the northern region of Tigray. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which was designated a terrorist group by the federal government, formed Tigray Defence Force that has been seizing towns in the region from Ethiopian troops
