Meaza Mohammed, a veteran Ethiopian journalist, is the founder of Roha TV, an independent YouTube-based news and information channel. Such channels have become increasingly popular in Ethiopia, where broadcast media are almost entirely state-controlled, as a way to disseminate news and analysis that diverges from the official government line. Her reporting has included coverage of the survivors of gender-based violence, including sexual violence in the current conflict—women she has then worked directly with to find treatment and other resources. On her platform, Mohammed has shared interviews with dozens of women who were been raped or otherwise sexually assaulted by armed militants during the northern conflict. She has been a strong voice advocating for investigation of and accountability for human rights violations during the conflict, impressing foreign observers with her clear drive, determination, and perseverance to speak the truth and to share the stories she saw with the world. She produced a documentary about 17 students abducted from university and continues to work on freeing them three years later through the NGO she helped found on their behalf. Mohammed’s vocal activism has not been without personal risk. She has been arrested repeatedly and charged with multiple counts, including allegedly spreading false rumors and disclosing the army’s battlefield location to the enemy. Despite her arrests, Mohammed remains committed to advocating for victims of gender-based violence and ensuring accountability for the crimes committed against them.
Meaza Mohammed Ibrahim
