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AIB Condemns Satellite Jamming in Ethiopia

Lodges formal protests with country’s foreign ministry and missions

The Association for International Broadcasting has condemned intentional jamming of broadcasts carried on Arabsat and Eutelsat satellites.

Programming from a range of regional and international broadcasters has been affected by jamming that technical research shows emanates from Ethiopian territory. The jamming has affected AIB Members including the BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24 and Voice of America, as well as other channels from the Middle East and North America.

“This deliberate interference is illegal and contravenes international law,” said Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB. “It deprives viewers and listeners across the region of access to news, information and entertainment. The interference also adversely impacts the important operational role that Arabsat and Eutelsat have in distributing content. It also harms their businesses.”

Spanswick added, “AIB reminds the authorities in Ethiopia that causing interference is in direct contravention to the agreements that the Ethiopian government is party to at the International Telecommunication Union.”

AIB is lodging protests with the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and its missions in London; Berlin; Paris; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Washington.

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