* Calls to Ban Zara Media and Report Digital Platforms to U.S. Authorities
A controversial social media post by U.S. based commentator Stalin Gebreselassie has ignited intense public backlash, triggering urgent calls for federal law enforcement interventions over potential security threats to international aviation.
In a recent update shared on his Facebook page, Gebreselassie claimed that airports in Kombolcha and Bahir Dar had been hit, and that a major target had been identified in Debre Zeit. He then added a highly contentious warning stating that cooperating forces may issue a warning for flights to be disrupted at Bole.
The implication that Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, a major global transit hub carrying millions of civilian passengers annually, could be targeted or disrupted immediately drew fierce condemnation online.
Concerned citizens quickly labeled the statement dangerous, with many commenters calling the rhetoric insane and arguing that civilian aviation infrastructure must never be treated as a pawn or a viable target in political conflicts.
Critics and community advocates point out that Gebreselassie is an ardent supporter of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), working aggressively to restore the group to power. Observers have highlighted his history of destabilizing rhetoric, noting that he previously stated that one thing he is so happy about is that in his lifetime he will see Ethiopia getting dismantled.
The uproar has quickly shifted from public outrage to demands for legal accountability. Because Gebreselassie resides within the United States, his public statements fall under U.S. federal jurisdiction regarding national security and international transportation protection.
Under U.S. federal law, making threats, inciting violence, or conspiring to disrupt services at international transport hubs constitute severe criminal offenses. Specifically, Golgul spoke to a legal expert who pointed to 18 U.S. Code § 37, which criminalizes acts of violence or intentionally disrupting services at an airport serving international civil aviation.
Furthermore, 49 U.S. Code § 46507 enforces heavy fines and up to five years of imprisonment for individuals who willfully convey threats or false information concerning attempts to compromise aircraft safety, the expert added.
These severe calls for legal accountability come amidst a deteriorating security situation in northern Ethiopia. On September 23, 2026, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin J. Massinga issued a sharp official statement from the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa strongly condemning a new military escalation by the TPLF.
Ambassador Massinga explicitly described the renewed hostilities in Tigray and Afar as an “unwinnable fight”. The official press release stated that the United States is disappointed to see the leadership of the TPLF, which the United States sanctioned earlier this year, make the poor decision to launch a large scale offensive.
The ambassador warned that rejecting dialogue sponsored by the African Union under President Obasanjo and engaging in an unwinnable fight does nothing for the people, adding that the U.S. retains tools to sanction additional leaders who try to push Ethiopia down the wrong path.
Golgul is actively reporting and posting this news to the public, raising the alarm that the Ethiopian Government, acting through its embassy in Washington, D.C., along with concerned citizens, should formally flag Gebreselassie’s remarks to American authorities.
Alongside legal prosecution, Golgul strongly advocates that Stalin Gebreselassie’s personal social media accounts must be immediately banned and reported to platform moderators. Furthermore, the outlet emphasizes that his media platform, Zara, must be strictly banned and systematically reported for providing a megaphone to dangerous rhetoric that threatens public infrastructure.
Golgul also stresses that a coordinated effort is needed to report the post directly to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to evaluate the statements as a matter of international public safety.
Golgul: the Amharic Internet Newspaper
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