Kenyan Journalist Yassin Juma Arrested, Detained in Ethiopia

Police in Ethiopia are holding Kenyan journalist Yassin Juma, according to reports.

Juma was arrested on Friday while covering protests that broke out in Ethiopia’s Oromia region following the killing of popular musician Hachalu Hundessa.

Hundessa, who was perceived as an activist for the Oromo ethnic group, was shot dead while driving in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa last Monday. His killing triggered violent protests that have so far claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

Juma’s arrest is linked to his alleged close relationship with Hundessa, who was a fierce critic of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration.

It is also alleged that Juma, a former employee of Kenya’s NTV, has close ties with another Oromo activist Jawar Mohammed, who owns the media house where the Kenyan journalist works. 

Prior to his killing, Hundessa had reportedly been receiving death threats.

In 2016, Juma was arrested by Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) after he blogged about the attack on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) El Adde base by al-Shabaab militants.