Internet Forum in the Capital Talks Access, Misinformation


Internet Forum in the Capital Talks Access, Misinformation

Thousands of delegates from around the world and digital experts from the private sector descended in the capital last week to set out steps for leveraging the power of the Internet while addressing risks brought by boundary-less communications infrastructure. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) said that Ethiopia is pleased to host this year’s forum breaking the continent’s “curse” after more than a decade.  Organised by the United Nations, the 17th edition of the forum on Internet governance, held at ECA, came under sharp criticism due to the host country’s reputation for shutting down Internet access 12 times in the past decade. One of the prolonged shutdowns, particularly in the wartorn Tigray Regional State, depriving the population of access to the Internet cost the economy 30 million dollars, the highest loss following Russia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. The KeepItOn coalition monitors Internet shutdown episodes worldwide and reported 931 shutdowns in five years within 74 countries. However, Internet’s benefits in providing access to telemedicine, digital banking and e-learning compete with a rising misuse of the infrastructure to commit cybercrimes and misinformation. “We want platforms to offer robust frameworks to reduce the speed of distribution of fake news,” said Melissa Fleming, UN undersecretary-general for global communications. With the increase in Internet use, the number of people who have used the Internet surged to close to 4.9 billion last year, adding 800 million from two years ago. Ethiopia’s Internet users have increased by 57pc in five years beginning 2017, exceeding 25 million. The government rolls out 4G networks in towns and 5G networks in major cities, with 2,300 high schools having internet access. Participants urged governments and digital companies to allow an open, accessible, inclusive and secure digital future, emphasising that access must be universal and meaningful.


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DREARY LANES

A street lamp around Addis Abeba Stadium melds into the concrete backdrop emblematic of the capital's ageing infrastructure. Over the past few years, Ethiopia's electric grid has been subject to destruction and theft, subjecting the public treasury to hundreds of millions in losses. Nearly half of the country's population does not have access to electricity. A series of projects by the World Bank has contributed to the slight but essential upgrade to the nation's grid, including a 500 million do...


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PLUMPY HUMPS

A trio of donkeys drag along the main road in front of Menlik School around the Arat Kilo area. While the four-legged domestic animal is a venerated member of the Ethiopian labour force, its skin and meat are increasingly valued in the international markets. Rhong Chang, a donkey slaughterhouse operating in Assela Town, Oromia Regional State reopened its services after a seven-year break two years ago. Public outroar has often accompanied the entrance of donkey abattoirs into Ethiopia since anot...


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IMPROMPTU AISLES

A bustling market emerges under a bridge in the boroughs of the Bole Michael area. Addis Abeba City Administration has launched a series of aesthetic initiatives embalmed in themes of beautification and urbanisation that have removed thousands of shops built with makeshift tents. Above a quarter of Addis Abeba's labour force is engaged in the informal economy, which while often associated with connotations of illegality, remains a sizeable employer in emerging economies across the world. Calibra...


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