Facebook deletes PM’s post inciting Ethiopians to kill rebels
Social media platform Facebook has taken down a post by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urging Ethiopians to kill and bury rebels.
The post was a violation of the social media platform’s policy on inciting violence.
On Sunday, Mr Ahmed had urged citizens to take up arms to protect their neighbourhoods if the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) advanced on the capital, Addis Ababa.
Mr Ahmed posted that the rebel advance on the capital was “pushing the country to its demise,” urging citizens to “organise and march through [any] legal manner with every weapon and power… to prevent, reverse and bury the terrorist TPLF.”
“We were made aware of a post by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister and removed this for violating our policies against inciting and supporting violence,” a spokesperson for Facebook, whose parent company recently rebranded to Meta, told the BBC.
Facebook employees had exposed the company’s failure to curb the spread of posts inciting violence in “at risk” countries like Ethiopia.
A CNN report noted that Facebook ranked Ethiopia in its highest priority tier for countries at risk of conflict, but the documents provided to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that Facebook’s efforts were insufficient for the volume of inappropriate content on its platform.
Peoples Gazette reported on Tuesday that the U.S. spoke against the violent takeover of the country by the rebels. The ongoing conflict between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government and allies have seen the capture of cities around the capital in the past week.
The rebel group that formerly dominated Ethiopian politics claimed to have occupied the strategic town of Dessie, 13kms from Kombolcha, and 400kms north of the capital Addis Ababa, on the major road that connects the federal capital to Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Region.
The conflict between Mr Ahmed’s government and the TPLF spiked in November 2020 when forces of the TPLF seized military bases in Tigray, a northern region.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Heading 1
Trump thanks FIFA for lifting Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension ahead of Belgium showdown
Balogun has been the standout man for the United States of America at the World Cup, scoring three goals so far.
Heading 2
Asaba traditional council prohibits ogbono seed in indigenous markets
The Ndi Eze Ahaba unanimously endorsed the directive.
NationWide
2027: Group cautions ADC over reported Atiku-Amaechi ticket
It expressed the view that the ADC should prioritise candidates capable of withstanding legal scrutiny to avoid post-election disputes.
States
Ogun APC governorship candidate Solomon Adeola begins reelectrification of over 50 communities in Ogun Waterside
The senator said the intervention was aimed at restoring electricity to communities that had been in darkness for over a decade.
States
Oyo APC raises committee to reconcile aggrieved members after primaries
Mr Sadare said, “It is hoped that this effort will bring about the desired peace and unity for our great party to win big at the polls next year.”
Sport
Nigerian athletes win 14 medals at CAA Region II championships
He said Nigeria’s dominance was most evident on the track, as sprinters swept several titles across the U-18 and U-20 categories.
