Mobile internet was unavailable in the capital Addis Abba, from September 17 to the morning of September 19 amid protests and clashes, according to media reports and Berhan Taye, who leads Access Now's #KeepItOn campaign against internet shutdowns, which CPJ is part of. Berhan told CPJ that residents who use fixed lines to access the internet could still go online. Belay Manaye, an Ethiopian journalist and blogger, told CPJ he believes that the protests in Addis Ababa would have better covered had mobile internet been available. The shutdown came amid protests in Addis Ababa on September 17 over clashes that had left at least 23 people dead in the capital's outskirts, according to media reports. Despite Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's inauguration promises to respect free expression, authorities have previously cut access to the internet.

Source: Ethiopian News September 21, 2018 16:41 UTC