Ethiopia Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide - Infoasaid

7Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea remain tense. Ethiopia today conducts mostof its foreign trade through the port of Djibouti rather than the Eritrean port of Asab,which was once its main outlet to the Red Sea.The conflicts with Somalia and Eritrea have created a difficult operating environmentfor humanitarian organizations.The government regards some of the people living near the border with these twocountries as potential enemies of the state – particularly ethnic Somalis.It also views many of the refugees arriving across these borders with suspicion.Sources in Addis Ababa who were familiar with situation said in August 2011 thatgovernment security officials routinely screened new arrivals from Somalia beforethey reached UN and NGO-administered registration centres.The security officials denied entry to any would-be refugees who were regarded as apotential security threat, the sources said.Access for aid workers to areas near the border with Eritrea and Somalia may berestricted.Nearly all radio and TV stations are owned by the government and interests close tothe ruling EPRDF party.Newspapers barely circulate outside Addis Ababa and a handful of other majorcities, such as Adama (also known as Nazret), Dire Dawa and Gondar.Most are either owned by the government or interests close to the EPRDF.Media criticism of the government and ruling party is virtually unheard of.The state-run telecommunications company Ethio Telecom has a monopoly ofmobile and landline telephone services and internet service provision.The national language of Ethiopia is Amharic, the language of the large Amharaethnic group which lives in the region around Addis Ababa in the central highlands.Amharic has its own alphabet, which has common roots with Arabic script.However, only one in three Ethiopian adults can read and write, according toUNESCO.English is widely spoken by the educated urban elite. It is used extensively ingovernment documents and in business.Native Amhara speakers account for nearly one third of Ethiopia’s population.