Living in Exile: An Interview with Ethiopian Journalist Betre Yacob Getahun
In 2015, PEN International spoke to Ethiopian journalist Betre Yacob Getahun for World Refugee Day. At the time, he was living in exile in Nairobi, Kenya. He is now in the US with his wife and young child, where he continues to write. In this interview, PEN talks to him about his experience living as a displaced writer and his perspective on the current situation in Ethiopia in regards to freedom of expression.
Despite releasing thousands of political prisoners in early 2018, including journalist Eskinder Nega, one of PEN’s Main Cases, hopes for meaningful reform were tempered when the Ethiopian authorities declared a state of emergency in February 2018. The state of emergency contains provisions, which restrict the rights to freedom of expression. In early March 2018, a prominent blogger was arrested and on 25 March 2018, Nega was re-arrested alongside other bloggers and opposition members.
1) In 2015, we interviewed you for World Refugee Day. Tell us about what has happened since we last spoke; how has your situation changed?
The challenges I faced were enormous and hard to imagine. The journey was brutal. Close to two years later, the memory is still fresh and I still feel the pain it left in me. In Kenya, I was living an uncertain life; I was in a state of fear, confusion, and sadness. The security problem was huge. [Many exiled Ethiopian journalists living in Nairobi fear being kidnapped or otherwise formally extradited – it is well known that Ethiopian agents operate in Nairobi, intimidating and threatening Ethiopians living in exile.]
The security problem was the major issue, but that was not the only problem. There were also economic and other problems. There were times I would have nothing to eat. It doesn’t seem real to me anymore, but more like a Hollywood movie. Sometimes I would to try to be creative with the food I had to make it edible and I would make dishes that had never been made before. Other times, I would just put all the food we had together just so that we could all feel full, so that we could sleep.
We used to spend our time indoors, without communicating with the outside world. I would say it resembled the life of a rat - a rat living in hiding behind walls and always in a state of fear. Our colleagues [other Ethiopian journalists] are still living under those conditions. It’s almost impossible to explain what it’s like to live in a constant state of fear - without enough food, in confinement. It’s the worst way to live.
The challenges of living as a refugee were countless and affected me in many ways. It is difficult to even define all of the types of events and challenges I have suffered. Beyond the security and economic problems you face as an Ethiopian journalist, you have to endure other obstacles, which come simply because you are a refugee. The government gives you a refugee mandate but it has no meaning for some government officials and police officers. When you go to a refugee center, for instance, you are asked for money. Police officers stop you and ask you for money. They threaten you if you refuse. These all make your day challenging and your life miserable.
The years I lived as a refugee were full of nightmares; they tested me and changed me. It turned my world upside down. It is the darkest chapter of my life, which I do not want to revisit. The wound is still fresh and painful. If it were possible, I would erase that part of my memory and would be able to smile as I did during my childhood times once again. But, it is not possible. It is my fate to live with such painful memories. Although it was a very bad experience, I have learnt much from it.
2) Have you been able to continue your work as a journalist? Do you feel able to write freely? What are you doing now?
After one year of silence I have resumed writing although I still need time to be as active as I was before. Although I am far away from Ethiopia, thanks to technology I still have access to information and can contribute to Ethiopian media organizations in the diaspora. These media organizations are playing a key role in providing information for Ethiopians both inside and outside Ethiopia and are getting stronger and more influential.
I am currently working on a book, which I started to write when I was in Kenya. I hope to get it published as soon as it’s finished.
Ethiopia is now in information darkness in an era of internet closures. [Over the past few years, particularly during a ten-month state of emergency in 2016 and 2017, the government censored and regularly blocked internet access for its citizens. In February 2018, another state of emergency was declared.] As long as the current regime is in power, the print media will not grow and play its role. This is why many are turning their face to the internet. Online platforms have the potential to play the role of the print media and we have started to see their impact. They can be operated from anywhere, can be established with less investment and can be easily managed. Thanks to technology, it is not difficult to access information from anywhere in the world. It is my plan to continue to work within this new platform.
3) Now that you are resettled in the USA, do you still face any challenges?
Since I came to the US, my situation has greatly improved. Here there is no security problem; you have the freedom to move around; to think freely and speak your mind. Here you are protected from those who do not understand what freedom of speech means. Yet, I am still emotionally disturbed; my heart is broken and I am struggling to leave the past behind and live for today and tomorrow. I do not know when I will fully recover and get my energy back.
Six months after I came to the US I lost my beloved father, which broke my heart. He was not only a father for me. He was more than that. He was beside me during all the challenging times I faced. He used to encourage me and support me although he was very worried about me. I sometimes feel that I contributed much to his poor health. I lost him while I was running away from a brutal regime and was dreaming that I would see him soon. We had planned to meet in the US and spend some time together as a son and father.
Even though I feel safe, I worry for my colleagues who are still in Kenya. They have serious security problems and their lives are at risk. They are always in my thoughts- thinking of their situation is painful. They are young journalists who were forced to leave their country and are now paying a heavy price for their profession.
I am also always worried for my colleagues who are back home in Ethiopia. There are many in the smaller prisons, Kaliti Federal Prison and Zewai Kilinto Prison, while others are in the bigger prison, Ethiopia. No matter where you are, you are subjected to intimidation and harassment, torture and inhuman treatment. I remember the day I met some of my colleagues at Kaliti prison. Their image is still fresh in my memory and I always recall their words. I was there to visit them and interview Eskinder Nega for a story I was writing.
The situation in the country is getting worse; innocent people are tortured and killed every day by security forces. The human right violations committed by the state are intolerable. The nation is now a failed state for me and the authorities are busy destroying what has tied the nation together for thousands of years. All this makes me very sad and makes my soul restless.
4) What effect has PEN’s support had on your life?
PEN International has been beside me since the beginning and they have done everything possible to change my situation and get me out of there. PEN’s assistance was not limited to financial support. It included technical assistance and psychological support. During those desperate times, the words they shared with me were a source of strength and hope. It is something I will never forget in my life. PEN International, PEN America and PEN Canada supported me hugely. Their staff were professional, compassionate and dedicated to helping me. Reading their emails was a special moment; it would make me feel better. I felt that I wasn’t alone when I read their words. I am so grateful for that. I am proud of them.
I am still in touch with PEN and the support and encouragement of its staff has continued. They are always there when I need them and their response is as quick as the wind. I am in debt to their hard work, commitment and kindness.
In addition to PEN, many other organisations and individuals stood beside me during those challenging times of my life and showed me solidarity. I would not be able to get out of the situation I was in without their priceless assistance and support.
What the US government and its people have done for my wife, my son and me is priceless, and we are so grateful about that. It is something we will never forget. We are really proud of them.
5) What can PEN do better to support writers and journalists in need of protection?
PEN International does an amazing job in assisting journalists and writers around the world and in advocating their struggle and challenges. I can speak here thanks to PEN and others who are committed to fight for press freedom.
However, the problem is huge and needs further action and intervention. There are still journalists in Kenya who need assistance. I would say that PEN has the potential to coordinate with other institutions to improve the situation.
All the doors are closed in Ethiopia for international human rights organizations and institutions working for press freedom. Intensive advocacy helps to draw attention to the press freedom situation in Ethiopia and exert pressure on the authorities in Addis Ababa.
6) How would you describe the current climate for freedom of expression in Ethiopia? Are you in touch with any writers back home? How is their situation?
Freedom of speech in Ethiopia is now in the worst state than it has ever been and is getting worse. Journalism is now a crime in Ethiopia and this criminalization is backed by the state’s draconian anti-terrorism legislation.
The enemies of the press are many in Ethiopia although the authorities take the lion’s share. The church, corrupted and wealthy individuals of Addis Ababa, supporters of the government and special interest groups take part in silencing independent voices. The regime's deceptions and falsehoods cannot survive where the press is free. So we live in an era where journalists are alienated, hated and targeted.
Now only a few independent journalists are left struggling with the authorities: they are isolated, harassed, arrested and tortured. Only state-owned media institutions remain – they are the mouthpieces of the regime and are accountable not to the people of Ethiopia but to individuals in the ruling party circle. These institutions talk about Ethiopian prosperity when some millions cannot afford to eat three times a day; they talk about stability while unrest sweeps the nation.
The authorities have recently released some journalists from prison because they were forced by internal and external factors to do so. Their current move is merely a political game played to win the hearts and minds of the international community. They played this game in the past and fooled many.
A free media is key not only to building democratic institutions but also to ensure peace and security in a society. However, this is misunderstood in Ethiopia and because of that, the nation is paying a heavy price. The country is currently in bloody political turmoil and has turned into a failed state.
PEN International's Make Space campaign aims to create opportunities for writers who have experienced forced displacement or are living in exile. Read more about Make Space or visit the Make Space website here: