Access to social media and the internet in Ethiopia has been restricted on Friday.
Schools have also been closed nationwide following a directive from authorities.
All these have been done as the church may likely hold a protest in the country.
Facebook, Messenger, Telegram and TikTok use has been restricted in Ethiopia, says Netblocks.
Netblocks is an organisation that monitors the freedom of access to the internet.
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This access was limited as a result of tension mounting between the government and the Orthodox church.
The Orthodox Church is the largest religious denomination in Ethiopia.
The church’s highest body ‘the synod’ defied a ban by authorities by announcing it would go ahead with planned protest rallies.
According to reports, the church is accusing the government of backing a breakaway faction in the Oromia region.
However, the clergy in charge of the breakaway accused the church of maintaining a system of linguistic and cultural hegemony.
The clergy accused the church of not allowing congregations in Oromia to be served in their native language.
The church, however, denies the accusation.
Churches To Clash During Rallies
The synod has called for a rally in the Addis Ababa main square to protest the government support.
In the same vein, the breakaway group has announced that it would also be holding rallies against the church on the same day.
No permissions were issued for the rallies, the Security and Intelligence Task Force said in a statement.
Authorities in the country have placed a ban on the rallies but the churches plan to go ahead with it.
