Ethiopian satirist silently joins ranks of the exiled

Ethiopian satirist silently joins ranks of the exiled

17 November, 2011 | By Hindessa Abdul/CPJ Guest Blogger
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Newspaper satirist Abebe Tolla, better known as Abé Tokichaw,
fled Ethiopia fearing imprisonment in retaliation for critical news
commentaries, media reported this week. His exit was
overshadowed by the trial of opposition figures and journalists on
charges of terrorism.

In an interview he gave to U.S.-based Addis Neger Online from
an undisclosed location, Abebe said he fled the country because
security agents threatened to throw him in prison. He did not even
bid farewell to family members. Abebe alleged that state security
agents pressured him for months to become an informant at his
newspaper, the critical Amharic weekly Feteh.

Abebe Tolla, better known as

Abé Tokichaw (Abé Tokichaw)

Abebe had been writing for

Feteh and Awramba Times,

another Amharic weekly known

for its in-depth coverage of local

politics. In the Oromiffa

language, which is spoken by

about 40 percent of the

Ethiopian population, Abé

Tokichaw can be translated as

"Abé the one and only." It is not

that usual to find dedicated

satirists in Ethiopian print media.

While there are some comedians

in the country, most of them

prefer to ply their trade on radio and TV.

Abebe's satires can generally be considered political. He has been
particularly critical of the cadres of the ruling party. That may be
the reason for the pressure on him. For instance, he has satirized
ruling party members for repeating policy terms coined by Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi, such as "transformation," as in the
government's five-year Growth and Transformation Plan, without
fully understanding the terms. According to him, officials have
confused ordinary people in attempts to explain the policies to
constituents.

But he has also touched on the

lot of ordinary Ethiopians. By

reading his satires, one can be

assured of catching up with the

week's top issues, and the

inevitable punch lines. He jokes

about everything. He even jokes

about punctuation. He loves

brackets because they allow him

to deviate from the main points.

Last year he published a

collection of satires.

Abebe becomes yet another

entry on the list of exiled

Ethiopian journalists. According to data compiled by CPJ, since
2001, at least 79 journalists have fled the country, the highest
number in the world. "It is better to get out than to get in," he told
Addis Neger Online. In is for prison.

Currently, seven journalists are being held in Ethiopian prisons on
terrorism charges, according to CPJ.

Hindessa Abdul is a contributor to Ethiopian news web sites and
writes about media issues in Ethiopia.

Courtesy