Facebook removed a post by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for violating the platform's policies against inciting violence. On Sunday, Abiy Ahmed called on citizens to take up arms to halt the advance of the rebellious Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) toward the capital, Addis Ababa. The TPLF has been engaged in a war against government forces for a year, recently capturing significant towns.
The platform, now known as Meta, has faced criticism for its failure to do more to prevent its social media site from being used to incite violence. In the deleted post, Ahmed stated that the rebels’ advance "will lead to the demise of the country," urging citizens to "organize themselves and proceed by any legitimate means and with any available weapons and force... to prevent, repel, and bury the fighters of the terrorist Tigray People's Liberation Front."
A Facebook spokesperson told the BBC: "We became aware of a post by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and removed it for violating our policies against inciting and supporting violence." They added that Meta "removes content from individuals or organizations that violate our community standards, regardless of who they are."
This decision follows revelations that Facebook had received warnings that armed groups in Ethiopia were using its platform to incite violence against ethnic minorities, according to leaked internal documents last month. Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen testified at a U.S. Senate hearing in October, stating that the company "is literally fueling ethnic violence" in conflict regions like Ethiopia due to its failure to monitor its services properly outside the United States.
Thousands have died due to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, millions have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands are facing famine, according to the United Nations. The war erupted on November 4 of last year when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against the Tigray region, claiming it was in response to an attack on a military base housing government forces. Abiy's government has designated the TPLF as a terrorist organization, while the TPLF views itself as the legitimate government in Tigray.
