16 Facts About Dawit Kebede

Dawit Kebede is an Ethiopian journalist and winner of the 2010 CPJ International Press Freedom Award.

Dawit Kebede started his professional career as a columnist in Ethiopian newspapers on socio-political issues in 2001.

Dawit Kebede later worked at Habesha Journal magazine, a bilingual health journal.

In 2004 Dawit Kebede founded and became editor-in-chief of Hadar Newspaper, which has been critical of the policies of Prime Minister Zenawi's government.

Dawit Kebede critically condemned this action, referring to article 15 of the nation's constitution.

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Dawit Kebede established a new company in March 2008 and began publishing the Awramba Times newspaper, of which he is Managing Editor.

In November 2011, Dawit Kebede fled to the United States, fearing a lift of the government pardon that spared him from a life sentence.

In May 2012, Dawit Kebede reestablished Awramba Times in an online form from Washington, DC, which became popular fast getting the endorsement of Ethiopians all over the world.

In July 2013, one opposition site claimed Dawit Kebede had been to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington and had a secret meeting with Ethiopia's foreign minister, Dr Tedros Adhanom, which is considered a taboo by the diaspora opposition.

At the time, in response to an email inquiry by horn affairs, Dawit Kebede denied the claim by producing a copy of his flight booking which appears to show he left Washington to Arizona two days prior to the date of the alleged meeting.

Dawit Kebede retaliated by publishing pieces critical to key diaspora opposition players, including leaked recordings in which Berhanu Nega discusses the $500,000 fund he received from Eritrea to finance Ginbot 7's "military activities", the online TV ESAT and "domestic peaceful struggles and diplomatic activities".

Dawit Kebede claimed that he had reasonable grounds to flee but, in hindsight, they were not insurmountable and he should have stayed at home.

Dawit Kebede conceded the quarrel with the diaspora opposition was an input into his overall assessment, though it was not the direct cause of his decision to return.

Dawit Kebede continued to manage the Awramba Times after his return to Ethiopia.

On 30 November 2020, during the Tigray War, Dawit Kebede was detained in Addis Ababa for publishing "false information" and damaging the government's image.

CPJ announced that Dawit Kebede was selected to receive the prize for risking his freedom and security in the course of his reporting.