Ethiopia Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide - Infoasaid

8The other main languages spoken are Oromo in the south of the country, Tigrinyain the north and Somali in the southeast.Since the EPRDF came to power in 1991, the government has encouraged the useof local languages in the education system.Ethiopia’s 2007 census showed a population of 74 million, growing by 2.6% a year.In 2011, the World Bank estimated the population had increased to 83 million.The 2007 census found that nearly 63% of Ethiopians were Christian, Most belongedto the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.This church plays an important role in Ethiopia’s culture and is closely associatedwith its history as an independent country. In many ways it is a symbol of Ethiopia’sunique identity.The 2007 census found that nearly 33% of Ethiopians were Muslim and theremaining 2% were animists.Aid workers say government officials in rural areas are often suspicious of theactivities of international aid agencies and may seek to restrict and control theiractivities.Under the terms of a controversial 2009 law, NGOs deriving more than 10 percent oftheir funding from overseas are prohibited from working in virtually all areas ofhuman rights and advocacy.The government says this law promotes openness and financial transparency.Opponents, of the law including the US-based NGO Human Rights Watch, say ithinders civil society activities.The government is particularly sensitive about the publication of informationconcerning conflict and food security.Humanitarian organisations planning to launch communications initiatives with localcommunities through the media should coordinate their actions with the Ethiopiangovernment and other stakeholders through OCHA and the Cluster leads.The contact details of the OCHA office in Addis Ababa are:Tel: +251 11-5513725Email: OCHA-eth@un.org