Ethiopian diplomat says Western media spreading ‘fake news’ on Tigray conflict

JUBA – An Ethiopian diplomat has accused the Western media of standing behind a campaign to spread fake news over the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopian after a section of Western media reported last month that forces belonging to Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was about to capture Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia has, for the last one year, been in a conflict following the launch of a ‘law enforcement’ operation by the federal government in November last year just days after the TPLF allegedly attacked a federal military army base which resulted in the killing of a number of Ethiopian soldiers.

Speaking to Sudans Post in an exclusive interview on Thursday, the head of Ethiopian mission to South Sudan Amb. Nebil Mahdi Abdullahi, cautioned Ethiopian citizens against succumbing into what he calls misleading information being spread by Western media on the Ethiopian conflict.

“There are some countries using TPLF as an agent to weaken the government in Addis Ababa. Ethiopian people will never accept this situation to make this thing happen in Addis Ababa,” Amb. Mahdi said.

Mahdi accused Reuters, BBC, CNN, and other news agencies of spreading misinformation including the last month’s claim that the rebel TPLF was advancing toward Addis Ababa, a claim which Mahdi refuted.

“The international media is a campaign to tarnish the name of the Ethiopian government. Media outlets like BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, New York Times, and Reuters are basically engaging in circulating fake news,” he said.

The top Ethiopian diplomat in South Sudan further said that this misinformation is meant to cause fear in order to erode the trust between the people and the Ethiopian leadership.

“What they are doing is fake news out of reality on the ground. Unfortunately, Ethiopia has been the topic of discussion in various forums such as United States, Security Council and others,” he said.

“For example, Renaissance Dam is not an agenda for security, is purely economy developmental project but due to their hidden agenda, they have to make Ethiopia an agenda in Security Council and European Union,” he added.

He claimed that TPLF which he called a ‘terrorist group’ is being supported by Western Countries to disintegrate Ethiopia.

“Western media is spreading misinformation and disinformation to create panic among the people and international community. I want to assure you that Addis Ababa and Ethiopia are safe to travel and reside in and it is peaceful, the conflict is in the northern part of Ethiopia,” he said.

“2021 is different from 1991. 1991 is the time when TPLF rebelled and overthrew Mengistu Mariam and at that time, they used media campaign but the current situation is different from 1991,” he added.