Widespread tensions caused by a rift within the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church have led to the suspension of access to social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Telegram.
Internet observatory NetBlocks confirmed that social media platforms were “restricted in Ethiopia due to anti-government protests” as of Thursday evening.
The church, which recently denounced a splinter group in the wider region of the country as “illegal,” accused the Ethiopian government of meddling in its affairs. He threatened to go ahead with a demonstration on Sunday despite government warnings. Social media users were asking church followers to join.
The split within the church, followed by a majority of Ethiopia’s more than 110 million, came after church members in Oromia declared a new synod on Jan. 22, arguing 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 celebrated across Ethiopia to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 19, 2023. (AP photos, files)
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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged church members to resolve their differences and said the government would not be involved. But many followers of the church accuse the prime minister, of Oromo and Protestant ethnicity, of undermining the church and siding with the separatist synod.
On Friday, the church said talks were underway between Abiy and the church patriarch over the dispute that has engulfed many parts of the country.
Earlier in the week, several dozen cities and towns, mostly in Oromia and on the outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa, saw sometimes violent demonstrations.
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 many people have been arrested.
The government in a statement Thursday accused unnamed groups of aiming to “shake up the government using gun violence”. He said the government has begun “to bring to justice (those) who take part in the movement.”
