Africa-Press – Ethiopia. Ethiopian authorities expelled the correspondent for the French newspaper “La Croix,” Augustin Basile, who had been accredited to work in the country since September 2023, following her return from a three-day journalistic mission in the Tigray region in the north of the country. This action has sparked widespread criticism and raised concerns about press freedom in Ethiopia.
According to the French newspaper, Basile, 30 years old, was covering developments in Tigray, a region that experienced a bloody war between 2020 and 2022, when she was summoned by the Ethiopian Media Authority and informed that her press accreditation was temporarily suspended pending an investigation that could last several days.
The journalist explained that she later received a summons from immigration authorities, where she was informed that her press accreditation and residence permit were canceled, despite the latter being valid until September. She added that she left Ethiopia on June 11 after being ordered to leave the country by June 18 at the latest.
This decision comes at a time when tensions are rising between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray authorities, amid warnings of a potential return to armed confrontations in a region still suffering from the aftermath of the previous war.
Thomas Hofing, head of the international section at “La Croix,” considered the incident a troubling message to the journalistic community and press freedom, emphasizing that the newspaper’s correspondent was working legally and did not need any additional permits to carry out her mission in Tigray.
Hofing stated that Basile followed the proper procedures to enter the region, but she received a summons while she was there, after which her documents were confiscated and she was asked to leave the country. He added that the cancellation of her accreditation and residence permit merely for doing her journalistic work sends negative signals about the media working environment in Ethiopia.
This incident raises increasing concerns among organizations advocating for press freedom, especially given the sensitive security and political situation in Tigray, which remains one of the most significant hotspots of tension within Ethiopia.
