Zecharias Zelalem
THREAD: Most of you by now have heard news of Trump's latest Executive Order, effectively dismantling the Voice of America. I heard it from friends and colleagues at the network, among the 1,300 put on leave.
While there were various issues with the VOA, there's no doubting its critical importance.
The impact of the decision, while not as devastating as the USAID aid freeze, will be as long ranging and damaging to the world, and yes, US interests as well.
Zecharias Zelalem
In Eritrea, my mother's homeland and a country in East Africa bordering Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti, there is no free press under the rule of former rebel commander turned President for life Isaias Afewerki. Eritrea is home to the longest jailed journalists anywhere in the world, and Reporters Without Borders ranked Eritrea 180th (last) in the world for its 2024 Press Freedom Index.
Six million people in Eritrea have precious few sources of independent news.
Zecharias Zelalem
The VOA produces news in 48 languages, among them Tigrigna, the most spoken language in Eritrea and Ethiopia's Tigray region. Since 1996, Tigrigna radio broadcasts have provided an alternative and independent source of news for Eritreans, who can tune in on radio signals that are difficult and expensive to jam.
With internet service extremely expensive and poor, Eritreans still rely on radio, and this will be a huge blow for people there.
Zecharias Zelalem
It's important to recognize that this shutdown attempt coincides with Russian propaganda outlet Sputnik's Africa wide expansion efforts. While the VOA offers complete editorial independence to its different language departments, Sputnik does not. It quite openly serves as a pro Moscow bullhorn, delivering sanitized and censored news that is largely dictator friendly and hardly different from the state propaganda offered by governments in countries like Eritrea.
https://dair-community.social/@ZekuZelalem/114034364756978499
Zecharias Zelalem
For instance, in recent weeks the Eritrean government was reported to have launched a new mass conscription campaign, hinting at a possible new war.
Such news when disseminated by the likes of the VOA, gives youths the chance to at least attempt to flee. State propaganda censors such news in an attempt to create docile and compliant citizens.
The loss of VOA Tigrigna in a country like Eritrea, previously described as a "news desert" will be felt heavily.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/09/eritrea-crackdown-draft-evaders-families
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