Daniel Areri

Daniel G. Areri was born in 1984, in the Oromia State of Ethiopia. He followed primary and elementary school at Me’e Bokko and Adola Secondary and Preparatory School. He joined Mekelle University in 2005 and studied Journalism and Communication. Daniel graduated with a B.A. degree in 2007. One month after his graduation, Daniel was immediately hired by the Oromia Radio and Television Organization (ORTO) to work as a journalist. He worked as a reporter for the media station in Adama for four years, both in the radio as well as the TV desk. In 2011, Daniel was fired from the media station together with many of his colleagues. This without any committing any fault. The only reason was because of practicing of journalism and being Oromo. He went back to the rural area of his birth place and tried to work within agriculture for one year, as his parent often did. The local government however made his work challenging. At the end of 2012, Daniel was enforced by cadres to the government to leave the area. Daniel came to Addis Ababa and applied for a Master’s Degree. He started post graduate studies in the School of Journalism and Communication, in the Addis Ababa University. Daniel was not lucky to finish his master. He had to drop the school and start a life in exile – because being a journalist and belonging to the Oromo ethic group is a risky business in the eyes of the Ethiopian regime. Daniel is the author of the book Freedom Letter.