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Ethiopia bans social media

Racked by protests in which as many as 500 people have died, the Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency and banned its citizens from making social media posts that give information to terrorists or “anti-peace groups”.

The protests began in November 2015 in the country's Oromia region, with clashes between the Oromo and Amhara ethic groups that escalated to violence in December of the same year. The dispute that sparked the protests is over government plans to redraw the administrative boundaries of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, to draw in several Oromian towns.

The government declared a state of emergency earlier this month, the BBC says it's now outlined the details. As well as the social media regulation, the government has told its citizens not to watch the non-Ethiopian Esat or OMN, which the government says are controlled by terrorists.

Protests have been banned, a night-time curfew bans people from visiting factories, farms or government institutions, diplomats are warned to stay within 40 km of Addis Ababa unless they get permission first, and the government has imposed strict rules about carrying guns. ®

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