Widespread tensions caused by a rift within the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church have resulted in the suspension of access to social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and Telegram.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks confirmed that social media platforms had been “restricted in Ethiopia amid anti-government protests” as of Thursday night.
The church, which recently denounced a splinter group in the country’s largest region as “illegal”, has accused the Ethiopian government of interfering in its affairs. He has threatened to go ahead with a demonstration on Sunday despite a government warning. Social media users were asking church followers to participate.
The split within the church, followed by the majority of Ethiopia’s more than 110 million people, came after church members in Oromia declared a new synod on January 22, citing the need to exercise their faith. in local languages. The church excommunicated several church officials who participated in the split.
PEACE TALKS BEGIN IN SOUTH AFRICA TO END THE TIGRAY CONFLICT IN ETHIOPIA
Ethiopian Christians celebrate Timkat, or Epiphany, a colorful festival held across Ethiopia to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 19, 2023. (AP Photo, File)
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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged church members to resolve their differences and said the government will not get involved. But many church supporters accuse the prime minister, an ethnic Oromo and Protestant, of undermining the church and siding with the breakaway synod.
On Friday, the church said talks were underway between Abiy and the church’s patriarch about the controversy that has gripped many parts of the country.
Earlier in the week, several dozen cities and towns, mainly in Oromia and the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, witnessed sometimes violent rallies.
On Friday, the government-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said at least eight people were killed on Saturday by security forces in Shaashamane, Oromia region. He said that many people were arrested.
The government in a statement on Thursday accused anonymous groups of trying to “shake up the government using armed violence.” He said the government has begun to “bring to justice (those) who are participating in the movement.”
