ADDIS ABABA — A French journalist working for the prominent newspaper La Croix has been abruptly expelled from Ethiopia, her employer confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The move marks a worrying escalation in the country’s severe tightening of restrictions on independent media.
The Horn of Africa nation, home to approximately 130 million people, currently holds one of the worst press freedom records globally, ranking 148th out of 180 countries according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). While media restrictions were briefly eased when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, the government has since returned to a aggressive crackdown on reporters.
“An Attack on Press Freedom”
Augustine Passilly, 30, had been operating as a verified correspondent for La Croix, a French Catholic daily, in Ethiopia since 2023. Ethiopian authorities gave no official or clear reason for her sudden expulsion this week.
“She was simply doing her job. We are stunned because she broke no rules,” said Thomas Hofnung, head of the foreign desk for La Croix in Paris. “This incomprehensible decision is a direct attack on press freedom,” he added fiercely.
Targeted After Visiting Volatile Tigray Region
Passilly revealed to AFP that the trouble began earlier this month when she traveled to the northern region of Tigray. Tensions between local authorities and the central government remain incredibly high in Tigray following a brutal civil war that took place between 2020 and 2022.
During her visit, Passilly was contacted by the Ethiopian Media Authority and ordered to return immediately to the capital, Addis Ababa. Upon her arrival, government officials heavily criticized her for reporting from an area designated as having “political and security instability.”
Under local laws, accredited international journalists are legally free to travel anywhere in Ethiopia that is not under specific, official military restrictions. No such restrictions were in place for the Tigray region at the time of her visit.
A Widespread War on Independent Media
Passilly’s expulsion is just the latest in a string of severe actions taken by the Ethiopian government against journalists in recent months:
- Addis Standard Blocked: In February, the local independent outlet Addis Standard had its operating license revoked under accusations of “undermining national interests.” Later in April, its main editor was snatched from the newsroom by masked men and held incommunicado for two weeks.
- Reuters Blocked: Also in February, Ethiopia stripped a team of Reuters journalists of their legal right to work after the agency published reports claiming the country was hosting a training base for a Sudanese paramilitary group.
- BBC and Deutsche Welle Targeted: In December, local journalists working for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle were “permanently suspended,” while official accreditations for BBC correspondents were deliberately denied renewal.
