NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Four media workers in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit region of Tigray have been freed after being detained by the military, shortly after authorities said several international news agencies would be granted access to the region.
BBC reporter in Mekelle Girmay Gebru, a local journalist Tamirat Yemane and two translators – Alula Akalu and Fitsum Berhane, who were working for the Financial Times and the AFP news agency – have also been released.
BBC, AFP and Financial times say they are not aware of the reason for the detention.
Girmay Gebru, who works for BBC Tigrinya, was taken from a café in the regional capital, Mekelle on Monday and detained by the military.
The media workers have been released without charges and authorities in the region have not immediately commented on their arrest.
Fighting between forces of ousted regional party, Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied Ethiopian, Eritrean and Amhara troops still continues in the region amid communications blackout and reports of atrocities against humanity allegedly committed in Tigray.
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