Human rights campaigner says African Union should move headquarters out of Ethiopia

JOHANNESBURG –  An Angolan journalist and human rights campaigner says the African Union should move its headquarters out of Ethiopia because of concerns about freedom of expression there.

Journalist Rafael Marques de Morais said Tuesday night in Johannesburg that the African Union, which represents 53 countries on the continent, is hypocritical to keep

its base in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Marques says the "last few independent" journalists in Ethiopia have been arrested and convicted.

One example that Marques cites is the ongoing Ethiopian trial on terrorism-related charges of bloggers from Zone 9, an independent collective that publishes critical news and commentary.

The African Union says on its website that it is committed to transparency and human rights.

Associated press