Qatar’s Aljazeera whims to train Ethiopian journalists, Controversies Escalates

Qatar’s Aljazeera whims to train Ethiopian journalists, Controversies Escalates

By Yosief Abraham Z

Remained reluctant to clarify on the Arabs-quartet rows against it as sympathizer of Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar turns its Aljazeera muzzles to Ethiopia. This controversial media, which has archived kaleidoscopic confrontations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kuwait, Israel, Syria, Spain, US and UK in its two decades journey, now glances to Addis Ababa for manipulative mission, a statement Aljazeera denies repeatedly.

Despite Doha’s desire and motives to Addis Ababa, Bahrain continues its hardline policies toward the media outlet. The country asserts preparation to establish media-outlets that work for the people than those tools of regimes, denouncing remark on to Aljazeera’s paths. By the same coin, Aljazeera lost its foundation after entering to justiciary battle against Egyptian newspaper—Al Ahram—after the newspaper accused it of inciting policies of harassment to the country on 9 June of 2010, a provocation for other crackdowns over Aljazeera crew in Cairo.

With media experts, articulation on Aljazeera has impulsively reversed policies of ‘fairness and neutrality’ after post-Arab spring in 2011. Had this not been our times influencing political landscapes cunningly, Addis Ababa wouldn’t have disremembered for the April 2008 diplomatic cut-off reason. Retaliated with strong condemnation that "Qatar has left no stone unturned to cause harm to Ethiopia's national security" back then, Ethiopia then slammed Qatar, underpinned by Aljazeera, for inciting humanitarian plights in Ogaden by amplifying incidents in the Somali region.

HorMid Media and Art Center expresses its trepidation will Aljazeera remain free from escalating hostile coverage against Horn Africa countries. Aljazeera coverage on Darfur and South Sudan that angered North Sudan and intensive squabbles with Somalia as the January 2009 ‘the Toxic Truth’ documentary spearheaded such controversies, still exemplifies possible evidences for latent threats in the future.

Crammed by strong retaliatory actions against targeted regimes, Aljazeera still claims its ‘commitment to voice the sound of oppressed societies. HorMid even chronicled that Aljazeera never broadcasts facts that criticize Qatar’s ruling family, human rights concern in the country, among others.

In 2010, United States Department of State internal communications, released by WikiLeaks as part of the 2010 diplomatic cables leak, claim that the Qatar government manipulates Al Jazeera coverage to suit political interests.

Will Addis Ababa remain trusted to harbor the media is an option choosing between can be recognized as an apparatus of the Qatari elites to exert influence over the region via propagation of political Islam combined with Salafism, hence being accused of supporting terrorism.

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Yosief Abraham Z is a freelance journalist and Executive Director of HorMid Media and Art Center. You can contact him at josiabraham29@gmail.com

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