Notices by Zecharias Zelalem (zekuzelalem@dair-community.social)

In full solidarity with @SalemSolomon & other VOA staffers put on leave. Salem is a multi-award winning editor/reporter working in Tigrigna, Amharic AND English, serving audiences across Africa & the world. I'm proud to have been mentored by her for years, she's an inspiration, a sister from another mother.

On that wasteland known as X, her post was swarmed with pro-regime trolling & misogynistic hate.

Best indicator of who is happiest with the clampdown on free press: fascist men.

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

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

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.

https://tigrigna.voanews.com/

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.

https://rsf.org/en/country/eritrea

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.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge4l109r3o

Decades later, keen on erasing what he viewed as a national humiliation, Fascist leader Benito Mussolini ordered a new invasion of Ethiopia, this time with a far wider gap in the supremacy of the armaments, which included warplanes.

The 2nd Italo-Ethiopian war began in 1935, and this time the Italians managed to pass Adwa and secure the capital Addis Ababa.

From 1935-1941, Italian war crimes in Ethiopia are estimated (by Ethiopian accounts) to have cost the lives of over 500k civilians.

Gen Rodolfo Graziani oversaw ground operations for Mussolini. In response to a 1937 failed assassination attempt by Ethiopian resistance that wounded him, Italians went on a 72 hour killing spree that is said to have killed over 30,000 civilians in Addis Ababa.

A sombre ceremony is held every February to commemorate the victims. This is a monument to them.

Thread for history lovers.

On March 1st, Ethiopia celebrated the 129th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa, where Ethiopian forces repulsed Italy's invading colonial forces, ending the First Italo-Ethiopian war, and preserving Ethiopia's independence in 1896. Annual ceremonies like this one, honour Ethiopia's fallen warriors whose sacrifice meant Ethiopia would remain the only uncolonized country in Africa.

"Italy's Terrible Defeat" was the NY Times headline. Afterwards Ethiopia & Italy negotiated a treaty where Italy would recognize Ethiopia's independence, in exchange for among other things, the return of thousands of Italian POWs. The 1896 treaty of Addis Ababa would lead to Ethiopia's joining the league of nations a few decades later. The stunning victory over a colonial power inspired future African countries to adopt green, yellow & red colour flags upon independence.

https://www.nytimes.com/1896/03/04/archives/italys-terrible-defeat-three-thousand-men-killed-sixty-guns-and-all.html

Hisham and Avera are among the names of 33 Israeli hostages submitted by Hamas to ceasefire mediators. The two will be released in the ceasefire's "first phase," which will coincide with an Israeli troop withdrawal, and the releases of Palestinian hostages.

If everything pans out as planned, these mothers should be reunited soon with their sons, after a decade long ordeal.

FIN.

Avera's family has accused the Israeli state of racism, saying far more would have been done had he been white. According to Avera's brother, the government urged the family initially to be silent about the kidnapping, to not endanger possible rescue efforts. A media gag order was enacted as well. Eventually, they grew frustrated and began to speak openly.

Hamas, also echoed the racism accusation in a tweet made before its permanent ban from Twitter.

Later, in 2019, Avera's mother Agarnesh met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed when he visited Israel. This meeting also appears to have simply been a publicity stunt, to give the impression that efforts were ongoing.

Agarnesh would eventually accuse the Israeli government of doing nothing concrete to save her son.

In 2016, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his Ethiopian counterpart, Hailemariam Desalegn to assist with efforts to secure the release of the Ethiopian born hostage.

Despite Ethiopia's warm ties with Israel, Netanyahu might have thought that Ethiopia's recognition of Palestinian statehood could have served as leverage in negotiations with Hamas.

Ultimately, it proved fruitless. Ethiopia isn't known to have intervened in any capacity on Avera's behalf.

The only images of Hisham & Avera from the last decade, have been from Hamas propaganda releases. This one is from January 2023. In 2022, Hamas released footage of a bedridden Hisham hooked to an oxygen tank after his health deteriorated.

Bedouin elders attempted to make contact with Hamas on the family's behalf, but they were rebuffed by Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who made it clear that without an exchange, Hisham would never be released.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-footage-israel-captive-gaza-avera-mengistu

The families of both special needs hostages, have spent the last decade campaigning heavily for the releases of their loved ones. The causes are a source of brewing resent in the Ethiopian and Bedouin communities in Israel.

Members of both communities criticize the Israeli government for the lack of initiative, especially when compared with the extent it went to raise awareness and ultimately free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit who was held by Hamas from 2006-2011.

Avera's case is nearly identical to that of Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin Arab Israeli citizen who was similarly exempted from mandatory IDF service due to mental illness. He had reportedly ventured into the West Bank numerous times, being arrested by Palestinian authorities before being returned to Israel. In 2015, like Avera, he wandered alone into Gaza & disappeared.

Hisham is also expected to be released soon as part of the ceasefire deal.

THREAD: Some notes on Avera Mengistu

Avera Mengistu, 38, is an Ethiopian born Israeli civilian held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since 2014. He has a history of mental illness that exempted him from IDF service.

In Sept 2014, he scaled the wall separating Israel from Gaza, and crossed into Gaza. He is believed to have been kidnapped afterwards.

With the ceasefire, he is reportedly set for release soon.

@ohmu it's NEVER an intrusion. Noone cares, so we're happy to have people butt in when we're on these topics 😁

@JoshPaul you should consider giving Bluesky a shot