communication among the Chinese diaspora is often done via WeChat, despite people
knowing that the Chinese government is capable of monitoring their activity.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian government has used its monopoly over the telecommunications sector to
limit access to information and curtail the rights to freedom of expression and association.
The government also used technology from foreign companies to bolster its widespread
telecom surveillance capabilities of Ethiopians both in the country and abroad. The
government has targeted some high-profile Ethiopians in the diaspora with highly
advanced surveillance tools designed to covertly monitor online activity, capture
communications, and steal passwords. In 2012, Yohannes Alemu—a refugee who became
a Norwegian citizen—was targeted by the Ethiopian government for his political
associations. His computer became infected with spyware called FinFisher, giving
Ethiopian security agencies unfettered access to his online activity.
In 2015, the Ethiopian government silenced independent voices abroad by using apparent
foreign spyware known as Remote Control System (RCS), which was sold by the now-closed
Italian company Hacking Team. The specific attacks attempted to hack into computers and
accounts of employees of the Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT), an independent,
diaspora-run television and radio station based in the United States. Many Ethiopians turn
to ESAT and other foreign stations to obtain news and analysis that is independent of the
Ethiopian government.
In 2017, Ethiopian authorities carried out a renewed campaign of malware attacks, abusing
commercial spyware to monitor dissidents abroad. Targets received emails tailored to their
interests, with links that contained malware sold by the Israeli company Cyberbit.
Rwanda
In 2019, Faustin Rukundo, a former senior official of Rwanda’s opposition party who lives
in the UK, was informed by Citizen Lab, an academic research center based in Canada, and
Amnesty International, that his phone was infected with Pegasus. The surveillance of
Rukundo came in parallel to attacks on his wife, Violette Uwamahoro, who was forcibly
disappeared for two weeks while on a trip to Rwanda.
“WE WILL FIND YOU”
32
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