NAIROBI — Facebook has deleted a post from Ethiopia’s prime Minister calling for citizens to “bury” rival Tigray forces that now threaten the capital, as the country’s war reaches its one-year mark.
The Sunday post by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad violated Facebook’s policies against inciting or supporting violence, Emily Cain, spokesperson for Meta, said to The Associated Press. She said that it was removed on Tuesday morning.
Abiy stated that Ethiopians have the obligation to “die for Ethiopia,” in a now-defunct post, calling on citizens to mobilize by “holding any weapon or capability.”
Abiy continues to post on the platform where he has over 3.5 million followers. After the Prime Minister in July referred to Tigray forces in July as “cancer” or “weeds”, the United States and other countries warned Ethiopia against “dehumanizing rhetoric.”
Facebook has previously removed posts from world leaders, but only in very rare cases. The company removed a video by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year. He made false claims about election fraud after a deadly skirmish in the U.S. Capitol. Facebook claimed that the video was contributing to “the risk for ongoing violence.” , the tech platform, pulled a live broadcast by Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro last week because he made false claims regarding the COVID-19 vaccinations.
Spokeswoman Cain didn’t say how Facebook became aware of the Ethiopian post. This was after the Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime Minister made the post as Tigray forces seized key cities. They were then able to use the highway to Addis Ababa.
Alarmed, Abiy’s government declared a state of emergency this week with broad powers of detention as well as military conscription. As he and other officials commemorated one year of war, the prime minister reiterated his call to “bury” the Tigray forces during public comments Wednesday.
In Ethiopia, social media is highly divided. This week saw many high-profile posts aimed at ethnic Tigrayans. Some even suggested they should be sent to concentration camps.
In the conflict between Ethiopian and its allies and the Tigray forces, thousands of people were killed. This was despite the Tigrays having dominated the government for many years before Abiy became president. Wednesday’s statement by the United Nations human rights chief stated that they had received reports about thousands of Tigrayans being detained in recent months.
Former Facebook product manager-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen last month singled out Ethiopia as an example of what she called the platform’s “destructive impact” on society. She told the Senate consumer protection committee that she fears that the divisive, extremist behavior we see today is only the beginning. “What we saw in Myanmar, and what we are seeing in Ethiopia are just the beginning of a terrifying story that no one wants to see the end of,” she said.
Meta spokeswoman Cain declined details about the number of staff they have in Ethiopia, or the amount dedicated to detection of violent speech in Ethiopia. However, she stated that the company is able to review posts in Somali and Oromo as well as Tigrinya. It also has a team made up of people who are from Ethiopia or have been to the country.
Berhan Taye is a researcher in digital right based in neighboring Kenya. He regularly escalates questionsable posts to Facebook and tracks social media on Ethiopia. Last week, the AP was told by Berhan Taye that the platform wasn’t moderating in Tigrinya, the language spoken by Tigrayans.
She stated that Ethiopians are very unlikely to receive any reply to reports they make on the platform. “From the amount of escalated posts and the number replies we receive, it tells you that their internal system really is limited.”
