French journalist detained in Ethiopia on charges of 'creating chaos'

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – French journalist Antoine Galindo was arrested by Ethiopian authorities on charges of “creating chaos” in the country, his media outlet Africa Intelligence, a leading professional website specializing in African political and economic developments, announced on Monday.

Galindo, a French national who arrived in Ethiopia on Feb. 13 to cover the African Union summit and write on other developments in the country, was detained by plainclothes security officers in the capital Addis Ababa on Thursday while on assignment.

Galindo was arrested at around 3:55 p.m. local time (1255GMT) and has since been held at the Addis Ababa Police Commission in the Bole district, said a statement released by Africa Intelligence's publisher, Indigo Publications – a French company that publishes four news websites, the majority of what is dedicated to specialized business sectors.

According to the statement, Galindo is being held on the unfounded charge of "conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia" and was brought before a judge on Saturday.

His detention has been extended until March 1, with the next hearing set for that same date.

The statement vehemently denied the accusations against Galindo, calling them "spurious" and lacking evidence.

It noted that Galindo, a known figure in the Ethiopian Media Authority, had obtained the necessary visa and informed authorities of his assignment in the country.

Members of the Foreign Press Association, Africa (FPAA), a professional organization representing over 600 journalists who cover Africa for international media outlets, have taken to social media platform X to protest the detention of Galindo.

The FPAA, which promotes press freedom and journalists' rights across the continent, has expressed solidarity with Galindo and demanded his immediate release.