“Stop filming, or I will shoot”: Ethiopian Journalists Targeted amid Tigray Turmoil

October 21, 2025 – Ethiopia – 

Journalists reporting from Ethiopia’s Tigray region continue to face grave threats even after the formal conclusion of the country’s civil war. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), freelance reporters and media crews are being met with detention, raids, equipment seizure, and direct life-threatening abuse.

In one documented incident, a camera operator for the regional broadcaster Tigray Broadcasting Services (TBS) was singled out by an armed militia member who pointed a gun and shouted, “Stop filming or I will shoot you!” when the crew attempted to report on a July protest in Adi Gudem. Another journalist traveling with the team was briefly held by local forces while documenting the unrest, illustrating the rapid escalation of intimidation tactics against press workers.

Press workers cite a broader power struggle in Tigray—between factions of the former ruling party Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and federal or rival regional forces—as setting the backdrop for increased media suppression. This internal conflict has weakened institutional protections for journalists, leaving them exposed to arbitrary arrests and violent threats.

Nine journalists interviewed by CPJ described the region as unstable and unsafe for press freedom. During the war years from 2020–2022, at least 63 journalists were detained, and over 50 fled into exile, creating a legacy of fear and self-censorship in the industry. Observers fear that the present climate—where armed actors act as judges over media content—is undermining the viability of local independent journalism.

Equipment seizure and forced movement restrictions compound the risks. In one case, journalists abandoned their cameras and fled disguised in villagers’ clothes to reach safety, carrying only memory cards so that their story could still be told. In another, a popular radio station in Mekelle was forcibly taken over by armed men who pulled programs off the air and installed their own operator, seen by many as a direct substitute for media independence with faction control.

CPJ is calling for Ethiopian authorities and regional actors to reaffirm journalists’ status as civilians under international humanitarian law, to investigate attacks on media, and to ensure access, safety, and independence for those reporting in conflict settings. Without concrete measures, the media environment risks becoming more dangerous, and its capacity to inform is degraded.

Reference – 

‘Stop filming, or I will shoot’: Ethiopian journalists targeted in Tigray turmoil