The Somali regional state of Ethiopia has 15 foreign media outlets that the Ethiopian government have suspended.
East of Ethiopia is where Somalia, one of nine regional states, is situated.
The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) issued a national order for the suspension for allegedly operating without a licence, and the Somali Region Communications Bureau was asked to take appropriate action.
BBC Somali and Universal TV are examples of media.
According to a formal letter from Ethiopia’s media regulatory agency, it was discovered during an enquiry that journalists and representatives of media outlets were operating in Somali state without a licence and were thus breaking the law.
Following recent allegations of tense relations between independent media and the local government, the action was taken.
The regional journalists’ association in Ethiopia, according to Nation Media Group, asserted that the suspension was a response to media reporting on corruption, among other things.
