For generations, truth in Ethiopia has traveled through trusted voices—elders, religious leaders, and respected community figures. But in the digital age, where virality often outpaces verification, these oral traditions are being tested by an onslaught of misinformation and disinformation.

That was the central warning echoed at a forum held recently in Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali region. Organized by the Hiraad Institute for Public Policy Studies in partnership with the Center for Responsible and Peaceful Politics, the event—titled “The Role of Media/Journalism in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in the Digital Age”—brought together researchers, journalists, civic leaders, federal lawmakers, and political figures to examine how Ethiopia’s deeply oral society is grappling with the challenges of a digitally connected world.

At the heart of the discussion was Osama Mohammed, a federal Member of Parliament and researcher at the Hiraad Institute. His presentation, “Oral Society, Misinformation, and Disinformation in the Digital Age,” drew a striking connection between culture and contemporary crisis.

“People in the Somali region are extremely vulnerable to misinformation,” Osama told The Reporter. “Our society is rooted in oral trust, not in formal authority. So when falsehoods circulate—especially from a voice perceived as confident or authoritative—they’re often accepted without question.”

A walk through Jigjiga’s bustling tech market—colloquially known as “Taiwan”—offers a vivid glimpse into this oral culture in practice. Shoppers seeking mobile phones or gadgets often rely on the word of vendors who classify devices as “original,” “contraband,” “fake,” or “the real thing” with no supporting documentation. Trust, not evidence, seals the deal.

But Osama warns that this ingrained trust has left communities susceptible to manipulation.

“Ask someone here, ‘Are you Ethiopian?’ and you’ll rarely get a clear yes,” he said. “The idea of being Ethiopian is seen as controversial. Why? Because people haven’t taken the time to critically reflect—‘What have I gained? What have I lost? What does being Ethiopian actually mean?’ Instead, they defer to what those around them say, often without scrutiny.”

He argues that in the absence of formal information systems, narratives are formed and spread informally—through gossip, chat rooms, party rhetoric, and politicized online spaces. And when these narratives turn toxic, they deepen social fissures.

“Hate-filled rumors start to dominate: ‘They’re expanding the border,’ or ‘They’re starting a war,’” Osama said. “This fuels fear, mistrust, and anxiety. Eventually, it gives rise to an ‘us vs. them’ mindset—not just in the Somali region, but across the country.”

That divisive mindset, he added, has manifested in different ways across Ethiopia—in Tigray, Oromia, Amhara, and the Southern Nations. Now, with the rapid expansion of digital media, its effects are amplified.

A 2024 case study from Cardiff University supports this claim. Titled “Disinformation in Post-Conflict Societies: The Case of Ethiopia and the Tigray War (2020–2022),” the study by researcher Hope Johnson (PhD) found that social media has accelerated the spread and intensity of disinformation, often undermining reconciliation and transitional justice efforts in conflict affected areas.

“Competing narratives spread through social media, traditional news outlets, and state propaganda have deepened divides, making transitional justice—a key mechanism for addressing past atrocities—more difficult to pursue,” the report noted.

Authority Has Left the Chat

In Jigjiga, seating in the courtyard of the Hiraad Institute, Osama offered a sobering reflection to The Reporter. Once, he said, Ethiopia’s oral society relied on communal custodians of truth—sheikhs, elders, and sultans—whose words carried the weight of history and consensus. But today, those figures have been left behind in the rush toward digitization.

“The biggest challenge we face in this technological age is that these respected voices are not part of the digital communication space,” Osama said. “They’ve been excluded. And with them, we’ve lost a trusted cultural mechanism to vet truth. Now, people are left unsure—who to believe, who to doubt?”

According to Osama, the indigenous truth-validation system that held communities together for generations has not transitioned into the online sphere. The result is a vacuum.

“Because we haven’t integrated our traditional information-checking practices into modern digital life, there’s no culturally relevant tool to filter misleading content,” he said. “People—especially those without digital literacy—are left dangerously exposed.”

That warning resonated deeply with participants at the Jigjiga forum, who agreed the absence of traditional authority in digital spaces has created fertile ground for hostility, suspicion, and social fragmentation.

A Public Consuming, Not Questioning

Media literacy remains nascent in Ethiopia. For many, the skills required to verify sources, identify manipulated images, or assess the credibility of information are either inaccessible or unknown.

“Unfortunately, the public consumes content without questioning its validity,” Osama warned. “With each false post—it weakens the social fabric. We see people suffering in silence… anxious, alienated, increasingly vulnerable to mental health crises.”

The impact is not merely anecdotal. According to a 2024 United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) report, the Ethiopian government has set an ambitious goal: to achieve 70 percent digital literacy by 2025. But the current reality falls short. Ethiopia ranked 112th out of 149 countries on the World Economic Forum’s digital skills index, revealing persistent inequalities in access to both tools and training.

A 2022 study by the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin further underlined the challenge. Titled Polarized Information Ecosystems and Encrypted Messaging Apps: Insights Into Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya, the study found that Ethiopia, like its North African counterparts, hosts polarized information networks. Governments, opposition groups, and diaspora actors routinely exploit encrypted platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp to spread propaganda and fuel division.

The study recommends urgent investment in fact-checking initiatives and digital literacy campaigns to counter the weaponization of social media.

The Other Side of the Coin

While researchers and civil society figures call for thoughtful reforms, state authorities have taken a markedly different approach—prioritizing law enforcement over media education.

On July 23, 2025, Federal Police Commissioner General Demelash Gebremichael issued a statement via official channels. It condemned “individuals and groups… using social media platforms to incite unrest and sow disorder,” especially in the lead-up to national events extending through September 2026. Authorities announced heightened surveillance, searches, and checkpoints across Addis Ababa and regional borders, targeting what they described as “anti-peace forces.”

In May 2025, two journalists were detained under Ethiopia’s controversial hate speech legislation. Among them was Ahmed Abdi Omar, widely known as Ahmed Awga, the founder of Jigjiga Television Network.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ahmed was sentenced on May 22 by the Fafen Zone High Court to two years in prison for charges of “propagation of disinformation and public incitement” under Ethiopia’s 2020 anti-hate speech law. His alleged offenses included a Facebook post—one CPJ claims he did not write—and an interview with a grieving father whose son allegedly died from police violence.

“Ahmed Awga’s conviction and two-year sentence, based on a Facebook post he didn’t write, is outrageous,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa regional director, from Durban. “It’s a stark illustration of Ethiopia’s escalating assault on press freedom. Authorities must stop using the legal system to silence critical voices.”

Mohamed Aden Hassan is another media figure sentenced to three years by the same Court, convicted under the same controversial law that imprisoned Ahmed. Both cases hinge on Ethiopia’s anti-hate speech and disinformation legislation passed in March 2020.

A Lawful Response or a Silencing Tool?

The law criminalizes digital content deemed likely to incite violence or public disorder, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to 100,000 birr. It also mandates social media platforms to remove flagged content within 24 hours of notification. While the law was introduced to combat growing digital instability, critics argue its vague definitions allow authorities to conflate dissent with incitement—threatening press freedom and political expression.

In the Somali Region—where oral traditions once governed public discourse—this new legal framework collides with a digital environment that amplifies rumor, rewards sensationalism, and penalizes poorly contextualized speech. Experts at the Jigjiga forum warned that the speed of disinformation continues to outpace institutional responses, even as governments and civil society begin investing in artificial intelligence moderation, fact-checking networks, and media literacy programs.

Osama believes the solution must be both technological and cultural.

“Building a resilient digital society isn’t just about software or censorship—it’s about anchoring our response in culture, education, and inclusiveness,” he said. “We must meet this moment… because if we don’t reclaim the truth, others will sell us their version.”

Yet, even as scholars and civic actors raise alarms about misinformation, they also caution against treating digital media solely as a threat. Research from institutions like UNESCO and Cambridge’s Berkman Klein Center emphasizes that digital platforms also provide critical avenues for civic participation, especially for historically marginalized voices.

A November 2020 UNESCO report, “Balancing Act: Countering Digital Disinformation While Respecting Freedom of Expression,” warns against reactionary measures. “Efforts to regulate digital platforms must be carefully designed to avoid infringing on freedom of expression or disproportionately impacting marginalized voices,” it states. While disinformation poses a real danger, the report adds, digital tools have enabled new forms of public engagement and information access.

“Responses to disinformation should prioritize media and digital literacy as long-term safeguards rather than focusing solely on punitive legal frameworks,” the report reads.

Concerns regarding the implementation of the Proclamation, particularly calls for stricter enforcement, have been voiced by human rights organizations including Article 19 and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), who assert that the existing, somewhat ambiguous legislation is already negatively impacting independent journalism.

In its February 2019 publication, “Youth and Digital Citizenship: A Landscape Analysis,” the Berkman Klein Center noted that young people from marginalized communities increasingly use digital tools to engage civically, raise awareness of social issues, and connect with broader audiences. The report cautioned that overly punitive digital policies risk deepening disenfranchisement in places where civic institutions already feel distant or inaccessible.

“Effective digital citizenship means protecting users from harm,” the report states, “while ensuring they also have the skills, opportunities, and rights to participate fully in digital public life.”

Osama agrees. The issue is not merely regulatory or technical—it is foundational.

“Rebuilding trust, reintegrating traditional authority into digital spaces, and equipping citizens with critical media literacy must all be part of our response,” he said. Ethiopia’s misinformation crisis, he argued, requires a multi-layered strategy: short-term enforcement, medium-term education, and long-term rebuilding of ethical responsibility and social dignity.

“They’re not just typing into a machine—they’re shaping real lives, emotions, and public safety,” Osama said. “The challenge isn’t just digital. It’s deeply human.”

Despite Ethiopia’s efforts to expand nationwide digital literacy and build regulatory safeguards, the broader challenge remains: how to protect the public from harmful content without undermining the fundamental right to free expression.

As Osama warned in closing:“The voices our society once trusted are no longer part of the digital world. That absence has left people disoriented, unsure who to believe. If we don’t rebuild those bridges, misinformation will keep filling the gap.”