#US airstrikes in #Somalia killed up to 174 people in 2025, monitoring group says

At least 109 to 174 people have been killed in 34 U.S. airstrikes conducted in Somalia so far in 2025, according to a report by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based policy institute that monitors American drone and airstrike campaigns worldwide.

The organization did not specify the number of non-combatants killed. The report also noted that “during Trump’s first term, AFRICOM carried out 219 airstrikes in Somalia that left 6–31 civilians dead.”

The rise in airstrikes coincides with an escalation in U.S. military operations against extremist groups operating in Somalia, including al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. U.S. Africa Command (#AFRICOM) has intensified its efforts to support the Somali government in counterterrorism operations across the country.

General Michael Langley, commander of AFRICOM, recently acknowledged the uptick in strikes, saying the U.S. remains committed to “disrupting and degrading” extremist networks that pose a threat to regional and international stability

https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/us-airstrikes-in-somalia-killed-up-to-174-people-in-2025-monitoring-group-says

#Ethiopia: Cargo trucks resume entry into #Tigray, following federal suspension over claims goods were ‘smuggled outside region’

Cargo trucks carrying goods to Tigray have resumed travel after federal authorities had earlier “prohibited the vehicles from entering” the region, citing claims that supplies were “being smuggled outside of the region’s borders” and “sold illegally through contraband,” according to the Tigray Interim Administration. The blockade, which affected trucks traveling through the #Afar and #Amhara regions, was lifted following talks between Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede and Federal Police Commissioner General Demelash Gebremichael.

The Tigray President’s Office stated that both sides “agreed to establish a joint committee” to “investigate whether the information is accurate,” and that “a corrective and control system” would follow the findings. It added that trucks halted mid-route would be “immediately released” and emphasized that “such disruptions will not happen again” under the new understanding. The move followed a letter from the Tigray Trade and Documentation Agency urging the Ministry of Trade to clarify “why they were prohibited” and to “take appropriate measures” in response.

Opposition parties in Tigray, including TIP, Baytona, and Arena, criticized the obstruction, stating they “strongly condemn the obstruction of trucks carrying consumables to Tigray.” The joint statement argued the federal government “bears full responsibility—if not for orchestrating it, then for failing to prevent it or even condemn it.” They warned that the blockade “evokes painful memories of the genocidal blockade imposed during the war” and described the restriction of supplies as “unjust, dangerous, and fuels conditions that embolden those seeking to exploit the crisis.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50619

#Sudan’s new prime minister dissolves caretaker government

Sudan’s new Prime Minister Kamil Idris on Sunday dissolved the caretaker government, a day after he was sworn in before the chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Idris announced the dissolution of the Cabinet and instructed ministry secretaries-general and undersecretaries to run government operations “until a new one is formed,” according to Sudan’s state-run news agency SUNA.

In his first address to the nation, Idris said, “Our highest priority is safeguarding Sudan’s national security and state sovereignty by defeating the insurgency and armed rebel groups.” He also urged countries supporting the rebellion to “stop planning, financing and cooperating in such efforts,” without naming any specific states. Idris pledged to uphold the “principles of justice, peace, the rule of law and sustainable development” and said, “We will treat all political and national actors equally and stand at an equal distance from all.”

Idris said his government would promote “an inclusive Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue that leaves no one behind.” The post of prime minister had previously been informally held by Dafallah Al-Haj Yousif, Sudan’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/sudan-s-new-prime-minister-dissolves-caretaker-government/3586279

#Ethiopia: Federal Supreme Court reinstates dropped charges against Taye Dendea; case returned to High Court

The Federal Supreme Court has reinstated two criminal charges previously dropped against former State Minister of Peace, Taye Dendea, following an appeal by the Federal Attorney General. The court's decision reverses an August 2024 ruling by the Lideta Branch of the Federal High Court, which had acquitted Taye of charges related to “propaganda messages in support of anti-peace forces” posted on social media and expressed in an interview. The initial court found that his remarks “did not constitute criminal acts” and fell within the bounds of his constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court, however, accepted the Attorney General's argument that the acquittals were “granted in error,” and referred the case back to the Federal High Court for further proceedings. Taye’s legal team, cited by the BBC, confirmed the reinstatement of the charges and said it remains unclear whether his bail—previously granted following the acquittals—will be revoked. The case is expected to be addressed in an upcoming session. A third charge related to the alleged possession of “unauthorized weapons” remains under trial.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50628

#Ethiopia: Defense Minister dismisses accusation of indiscriminate attacks by #ENDF, says mistakes are inevitable during operations

Aisha Mohammed, Ethiopian Minister of Defense, has dismissed accusations of indiscriminate attacks by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), calling them “political opportunists' outcry” lacking substance. In a recent interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, responding to a question about accusations of indiscriminate attacks by the ENDF, he asserted that while no military operation is without flaws, the ENDF is a disciplined and professional force.

“I do not accept the characterization of the ENDF portrayed by some on social media. This is propaganda,” she said, describing the force as grounded in patriotism, discipline, science, and wisdom. Aisha emphasized that Ethiopia’s army is respected internationally, especially in peacekeeping missions, where its presence brings calm and contributes to reconciliation.


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Bill Gates to direct ‘majority’ of $200 billion pledge to ‘address challenges’ in #Africa

Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, said that the “majority” of his pledged $200 billion donation over the next two decades will be “spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa.” Speaking at the African Union’s Nelson Mandela Hall, Gates urged African leaders “to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current headwinds.” He said that “by unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity – and that path is an exciting thing to be part of.”

Gates emphasized that “investing in primary healthcare has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.” He said, “With primary healthcare, what we’ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results,” and added that ensuring good early childhood nutrition “makes all the difference.” He said countries like #Ethiopia and #Rwanda are “showing what’s possible when bold leadership harnesses innovation.”

Renowned African leaders welcomed Gates’ continued engagement. Mrs. Graça Machel, advocate for women and children, described the current situation as “a moment of crisis” and said Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa reflects “a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas and innovation.” WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Africa’s health progress is due to “strong government leadership, resilient communities, and partnerships that deliver results.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50642

#Ethiopia: Taye Dendea arrested from his residence hours after court reinstated dropped charges

Former State Minister of Peace Taye Dendea was arrested from his residence on Monday afternoon, hours after the Federal Supreme Court ruled to reinstate two previously dropped charges against him and referred the case back to the Federal High Court. His lawyer told Addis Standard the arrest took place around 4:00 PM, adding, “I was with him earlier in the morning, during the court session at around 11:00 AM.” He said the arrest “was not made in relation to today’s court ruling,” and that federal police told Taye they “wanted to talk to him at the office” before detaining him.

The Federal Supreme Court earlier ruled in favor of an appeal filed by the Federal Attorney General to reinstate charges accusing Taye of posting “propaganda messages in support of anti-peace forces” on social media and making similar remarks during an interview. The Lideta Branch of the Federal High Court had acquitted him in August 2024, stating that the content “did not constitute criminal acts” and was protected by his constitutional right to free expression.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50645

#Sweden allocates $7.8 million to #UNICEF programme in #Ethiopia; support targets women, children through social protection

Sweden has pledged $7.8 million to UNICEF in support of a new programme designed to strengthen social protection, livelihoods, and resilience for women and children in Ethiopia. The funding agreement—formalized on June 2 in Addis Abeba—was signed by Hans Henric Lundquist, Sweden’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, and Dr. Aboubacar Kampo, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia.

The initiative, noscriptd Strengthened Resilience and Livelihoods: Making Social Protection Work for Women and Children, will benefit an estimated 173,250 individuals across 34,650 households. According to Sweden’s Ambassador, the programme "will empower women and children in vulnerable situations," while also supporting Ethiopia's efforts to "take greater responsibility for its own population." Lundquist noted that Sweden’s contribution would “help build resilience” and support the government’s ambition to expand domestic funding for social protection.

UNICEF’s Kampo called the partnership “an important step” in addressing the “root causes of childhood deprivation.” He added that the approach goes beyond addressing immediate needs and seeks to “transform systems” to ensure children in Ethiopia can “thrive with dignity and opportunity.” The programme will focus on expanding cash assistance, improving access to social services, and creating economic opportunities, particularly for vulnerable groups facing the compounded effects of poverty and crisis.

https://unric.org/en/sweden-invests-in-livelihoods-and-resilience-building-for-women-and-children-in-ethiopia/

#Ethiopia: “Our ideology is intended to address the criticisms that both #TPLF and #EPRDF used to face from the international community” — Prof. Kindeya Gebrehiwot

Tigray Democratic Solidarity (#Simret), which recently received temporary recognition“as a regional political party from the National Election Board of Ethiopia (#NEBE), says its guiding ideology is intended to address “the criticisms that both TPLF and EPRDF used to face from the international community,” according to Professor Kindeya Gebrehiwot, the party’s External Relations Coordinator and former Head of the Cabinet Secretariat for the Transformation of Social Development under the Tigray Interim Administration.

Speaking to Addis Standard about the party’s formation and objectives, Professor Kindeya said Simret is built on “a mindset that takes into account the current state of thought our world has reached,” and that it “considers the overall situation of the region and the country.” He described the party’s ideology as one that aims to “fulfill the desire for change,” which he said is “particularly igniting among farmers, youth, and intellectuals in #Tigray.” He added that the party seeks to ensure “high-level respect and protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms.” At the same time, he said it “fundamentally corrects the criticisms” previously directed at ruling parties.

Redae Halefom, Simret’s Communication Head and former head of the Communications Bureau of the Tigray Interim Administration, said in a press statement issued on 31 May that the party was formed “because the problems that occurred in the region after the bloody war in Tigray need to be solved with new thinking.” He said “there is no stable life in Tigray” and the people “need a different path.” He added that the organization they were formerly part of “lacks the capacity to accept new thinking.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50662

#Opinion: Unpacking Resolution 2714:  Why #UN arms embargo lift on #Somalia leaves #Somaliland excluded, vulnerable

In December 2023, the UN Security Council lifted a long-standing arms embargo on Somalia through Resolution 2714. While the decision marked a victory for the Federal Government of Somalia (#FGS) in its fight against Al-Shabaab, Abdifatah Saeed Jama, the author of this opinion piece, argues that the resolution “overlooked Somaliland.”

“The resolution was designed to support the FGS as it assumes full responsibility for national security…,” he notes, adding, “However, by granting arms transfer authority solely to the FGS — and by extension, denying it to all others — the UN has effectively disenfranchised Somaliland and overlooked its decades of institutional capacity, stability, and responsible self-governance.”

Although the resolution authorizes only the FGS to legally receive arms, the author contends that it “sidelines Somaliland” despite its long-standing record of “institutional capacity, stability, and responsible self-governance.” He argues that this policy not only denies Somaliland “the ability to equip its own forces for internal security and counter-terrorism” but also “risks inflaming tensions” in areas such as Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn, where recent clashes have escalated.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50655

More than 4 million refugees have fled #Sudan civil war, #UN says

The number of people who have fled Sudan since the beginning of its civil war in 2023 has surpassed four million, U.N. refugee agency officials said on Tuesday, adding that many survivors faced inadequate shelter due to funding shortages.

"Now in its third year, the 4 million people is a devastating milestone in what is the world's most damaging displacement crisis at the moment," U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Eujin Byun told a Geneva press briefing.

More than 800,000 of the refugees have arrived in Chad, where their shelter conditions are dire due to funding shortages, with only 14% of funding appeals met, UNHCR's Dossou Patrice Ahouansou told the same briefing. "This is an unprecedented crisis that we are facing. This is a crisis of humanity."

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-than-4-million-refugees-have-fled-sudan-since-war-began-un-says-2025-06-03/

#Ethiopian Airlines considering order for at least 20 regional jets, CEO says

Ethiopian Airlines is looking to order at least 20 regional or small narrowbody jets as it moves to expand its domestic fleet and replace some ageing aircraft, the airline's chief executive told Reuters on Monday.

“We are evaluating three aircraft models, the E-2 from Embraer, the A220 from Airbus, and the 737 MAX 7 from Boeing,” CEO Mesfin Tasew Bekele said in an interview. He added that the final order quantity will depend on the type chosen. Boeing's 737 MAX 7, which has a larger seating capacity and sits at the bottom of a larger category than the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-2, “is yet to be certified.”

“We are receiving airplanes from both Boeing and Airbus, but deliveries have been delayed, some by three months, some six months, some more,” Mesfin said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopian-airlines-considering-order-least-20-regional-jets-ceo-says-2025-06-02/

#Ethiopia: Federal High Court revokes bail for ex-State Minister Taye Dendea; lawyer alleges secretive hearing, absence of legal counsel

The Federal High Court Lideta Branch, has revoked the bail previously granted to former State Minister of Peace, Taye Dendea, and ordered his continued detention as proceedings continue, his lawyer told Addis Standard. The decision came after Taye was brought before the court at noon on Tuesday, 03 June.

According to the lawyer, Taye was “clandestinely presented” to the court. “He was presented without a lawyer,” he said. “Such high-profile cases can only proceed either with the presence of the defendant’s lawyer or with a public defender assigned by the court — but this requirement was bypassed.”

He also questioned the timing of the session, saying it was held “during the lunch break,” which he described as “a time not typically used for court proceedings.” He said the hearing appeared to be arranged “specifically to suspend his bail in secrecy.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50668

#Kenya dispatches technical team for 200MW #Ethiopian power import

Kenya is set to import an additional 200 MW of hydropower from Ethiopia to address a 283 MW supply shortfall during peak hours, as a technical team from Kenya Power and the Ministry of Energy travels to #Addis_Abeba to negotiate an expanded Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

The planned import builds on a 25-year agreement signed in 2022, under which Ethiopia supplies 200 MW at 6.5 US cents per kWh—lower than Kenya’s thermal generation costs, which reach up to 20 US cents.

The delegation is expected to discuss tariff rates, delivery timelines, and grid stability, with the goal of finalizing terms by mid-2025. The additional electricity is anticipated to come from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), aiming to support Kenya’s reserve margin, which currently stands at 9 MW—below the 20–35 percent buffer recommended by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

https://www.kdrtv.co.ke/news/kenya-dispatches-technical-team-for-200mw-ethiopian-power-import/

#Ethiopia: Over 8,000 displaced due to flooding in South Omo, Dasenech; officials warn Omorate town ‘at risk of submersion’

More than 8,000 people have been displaced following flooding triggered by the overflow of Lake Turkana and the Omo River in Dasenech district, South Omo Zone of the South Ethiopia Region, according to Umer Nakuwe, Deputy Administrator of the district and Head of the Peace and Security Administration Office.

Umer told Addis Standard the flooding began on Sunday, 02 June 2025, affecting five kebeles surrounding Omorate town. He said the displaced residents “are currently sheltered in a highland area known as Bufbuf.” Umer recalled that in earlier years, the Omo River “used to overflow only once a year,” but noted that since 2020, “it has been overflowing up to three times annually,” altering its course and repeatedly flooding the area. He partly attributed the expansion of the flood to the area's fertile soil, which he said “creates favorable conditions for water to spread.” Umer warned that “if this continues, Omorate town is at risk of being completely submerged.”

A resident of the area, who requested anonymity, told Addis Standard that the current flood has “submerged nine kebeles, including areas that were previously not considered disaster-prone.” The resident stated, “this kind of disaster happens frequently,” recalling a major flood four years ago. He added that the Omo river and Turkana lake overflowed, “forcing the water to change direction,” and claimed that “more than 20,000 people have now been displaced.”

https://addisstandard.com/over-8000-displaced-due-to-flooding-in-south-omo-dasenech-officials-warn-omorate-town-at-risk-of-submersion/

#Egypt plans desert city supplied with diverted #Nile water

Egypt unveiled plans on Sunday to build a desert city that will see about 7% of Egypt's annual Nile River quota rerouted from fertile delta land to pass by upscale glass-fronted housing units and eventually a large agricultural project.

Egypt, facing mounting water shortages, power constraints, and a deepening economic crisis, wants the development to help increase the value of state assets and boost land prices through "non-traditional, innovative ideas," Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a statement announcing the project.

About 10 million cubic meters of Nile water will flow daily to the 6.8 million sq meter (2.63 sq mile) Jirian city, 42 km (26 miles) west of downtown Cairo, helping irrigate a 2.28 million acre New Delta agricultural project, developers said.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/egypt-plans-desert-city-supplied-with-diverted-nile-water-2025-06-01/

Escalating conflict in #South_Sudan forces many thousands to flee just as aid dwindles

The UN Refugee Agency (#UNHCR) said on Tuesday that more than 165,000 people have fled escalating violence in South Sudan over the past three months, citing ongoing political instability and hostilities between armed groups, particularly in Upper Nile state. According to UNHCR, around 100,000 of those displaced have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, including #Sudan, #Ethiopia, #Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reporting “insecurity, inter-communal violence, and deteriorating humanitarian conditions” as reasons for leaving.

Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, stated that “South Sudan cannot afford yet another crisis,” noting that the country is already hosting over 1 million people who have fled the war in Sudan. He added that “millions of its citizens continue to recover from years of conflict and crisis at home.” UNHCR further reported that humanitarian access to approximately 65,000 newly displaced people remains “significantly constrained” due to ongoing fighting and movement restrictions, hindering the delivery of essential items such as medicine and health services amid a rise in cholera cases.

Neighbouring countries, UNHCR noted, are struggling to absorb the influx. Sudan has received over 41,000 South Sudanese, including 26,000 in White Nile state, where existing refugee populations and limited services are under increased pressure. In Ethiopia’s Gambella region, UNHCR said new arrivals are being moved from makeshift shelters at the border to areas where assistance can be provided, though conditions remain difficult.

https://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/escalating-conflict-south-sudan-forces-many-thousands-flee-just-aid-dwindles