June 19 (Bloomberg) -- Ethiopia expelled an American journalist working for the U.S.-owned Voice of America radio service after detaining her for reporting claims by a rebel group that government forces killed 71 civilians.
Heather Murdock said today that she was detained by Ethiopian security June 12 while investigating reports by the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front of killings last week near the eastern Ethiopian town of Babile, Murdock said in an e-mail today. She was released two days later and expelled from the country on June 17.
Bereket Simon, Ethiopia’s communication affairs minister, confirmed the expulsion, saying in a phone interview Murdock “was searching for ONLF people”.
