#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

#Ethiopia: Court grants 8-day probe into Dr. Mahlet, seven others charged with “inciting riot and unrest”

The Federal First Instance Court Arada Bench has granted an additional eight-day investigation period into the case of Dr. Mahlet Guush, an anatomical pathologist, and seven others accused of “inciting riot and unrest” and “collaborating with anti-peace forces,” amid an ongoing nationwide strike by health professionals.

The decision was issued today, 04 June, following a police request submitted during a hearing on 02 June. A family member of Dr. Mahlet, who requested anonymity, told Addis Standard that police had requested “an additional 14 days” citing incomplete investigations, but the court approved only eight. The individuals were first brought before the same court on 21 May, when police were initially granted 12 days for investigation—bringing the total pre-charge detention to 20 days.

Dr. Mahlet was arrested on 19 May from her residence in Addis Abeba’s Bashawelde Condominium, located around 4 Kilo. Her family said she was taken by individuals they identified as “security forces.” Her detention followed her appearance on BBC Focus on Africa, where she said the healthcare system is burdened by “resource limitations” and highlighted chronic shortages in fields such as pathology and oncology.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50692

#Ethiopia: Ambassador Dina Mufti accuses Isaias Afwerki of promoting ‘Cushitic-Semitic antagonism’, interfering in Ethiopia’s internal affairs

Ambassador Dina Mufti, Member of Parliament and former spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has accused Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki of promoting what he called a “very dangerous” narrative of “Cushitic-Semitic antagonism” aimed at destabilizing Ethiopia and realigning political forces in the Horn of Africa.

In a commentary published by the state-affiliated Horn Review, Dina alleged that Isaias “seems to have come up with this thesis” to build a coalition of “ethnic militias from the Tigray and Amhara region” under “a coalition that he leads,” seeking to overthrow Ethiopia’s federal government, which Isaias allegedly considers “subservient to external forces.”

In his 24 May speech in Asmara, Isaias described Ethiopia as caught in “a spiral of crises and devastation” caused by “ethnic federalism” that led to “upheavals and devastation.” He further accused external actors, “perturbed by the promising prospects” of reforms, of waging “wars against the Ethiopian people” by exploiting issues such as “the Issue of Water,” “Nile and the Red Sea,” and the “Ideology of Orommuma that does not represent the Oromo people.”

Ambassador Dina rejected this narrative as a “very dangerous provocation,” warning it risks exacerbating ethnic tensions. He accused Isaias of attempting to “fuel animosity against the Oromo community” by invoking Oromummaa, a concept the ambassador said Isaias “hardly understands.” Dina added that Isaias has a “long-standing habit of inciting one ethnic group against another” using “the ethnic card” to undermine Ethiopian governments “unwilling to accept his dictates.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50704

#Ethiopia: "There are no organized forces in Ethiopia capable of confronting the National Defense Forces or other security entities" - Legesse Tulu

Legesse Tulu, Government Communication Minister, stated in a recent national television appearance that “there are no organized forces in the country capable of confronting the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (#ENDF) or other organized security structures.”

He emphasized that Ethiopia’s peace situation “is more stable than it has been in the past seven years—even compared to last month.”

According to Legesse, “the ambitions of armed groups who once used violence to control territories and dismantle state structures have been neutralized.”

He explained that the current threat does not stem from political actors but from “economically motivated groups who engage in robbery and extortion to gain quick wealth.”

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#Commentary: Worse Than Evil: How stupidity fueled #Ethiopia into a raging inferno

Ethiopia has been gripped by relentless violence and atrocities across its regions over the past six years, writes Ezekiel Gebissa, the author of this commentary. He cites examples ranging from mass murder in #Tigray to indiscriminate killings in #Oromia, drone strikes in #Amhara, and the assassination of high-ranking government officials and prominent public figures. He notes, "The country is descending into an unfathomable underworld where life is nasty, brutish, and short."

Drawing on German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s concept of "cultivated stupidity"—a rejection of reason and critical thinking that enables ordinary people to follow immoral orders without question—Ezekiel argues that many Ethiopians have endorsed this "state-sanctioned violence." He points out that even "bishops and imams, otherwise paragons of peace and reconciliation, publicly preached violence and viciousness." The author adds that dehumanizing rhetoric from top government officials, calling opponents “nocturnal beasts and invasive weeds,” has normalized brutality.

The article states, “Ethiopian politics became violent because Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed allowed governance to be driven by a contrarian logic and exercised power by convulsive methods. In other words, policies were adopted if they were contrary to those of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), extreme violence was deployed to divide, muzzle, and neutralize alternative voices, and the public was corralled into aiding and abetting death and destruction.”

The author asserts that Prime Minister Abiy’s choice of "contrarian, corrosive, and convulsive politics has produced chaos, conflict, and an imminent collapse of the political order," effectively turning Ethiopia into "a land of blood for the last six years." He urges Ethiopians to heed Bonhoeffer’s call to view history “from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed and reviled, in short, from the perspective of the suffering” as a way to break free from this entrenched “cultivated stupidity.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50466

#Eritrea, #Somalia among 12 countries facing renewed #US travel restrictions under Trump order

Eritrea, Somalia, and #Sudan are among 12 countries whose citizens will be barred from entering the United States under a new proclamation signed by President Donald Trump, citing national security concerns. The directive, effective June 9, 2025, reinstates and expands a travel ban first introduced during Trump’s previous term and affects countries the U.S. administration claims have security vulnerabilities and inadequate identity verification systems.

According to the proclamation, full entry bans will apply to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Travel from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will be subject to partial restrictions.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-signs-proclamation-banning-travel-12-countries-cbs-news-reports-2025-06-04/

#Commentary: Geopolitical Airspace Paradox: How landlocked #Ethiopia faces airspace lock, seeks sea and sky access

Ethiopia, Africa’s oldest independent nation, faces a unique and pressing geopolitical dilemma, writes Solomon Gurmu Beka, the author of this commentary. He argues that the country is not only landlocked but also “functionally airspace-locked,” as it relies heavily on neighboring states for international air transit. “Currently, Ethiopia’s land and airspace are surrounded by the land and airspace of other sovereign nations, namely #Eritrea, #Djibouti, #Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia,” he notes. “Any geopolitical conflict, diplomatic fallout, or instability could result in airspace restrictions, dramatically impacting Ethiopia’s aviation network.”

The author points out that international aviation law grants countries “exclusive control over their airspace,” which means Ethiopian flights must obtain overflight rights to access global routes. While agreements such as the Chicago Convention and the 1965 Transit Trade Agreement recognize the rights of landlocked states to transit, Solomon emphasizes that these rights are largely contingent on “bilateral agreements” and remain “vulnerable to political tensions.” This dependence, he argues, exposes Ethiopia to strategic vulnerabilities, undermining its ability to operate aviation services effectively and posing risks to national security, economic growth, and regional influence.

He stresses that the consequences are particularly significant for Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier. Navigating restricted airspace, he explains, results in “longer flight times, higher fuel consumption, and reduced fleet lifespan.” The author elaborates: “For instance, flights to Europe could detour south around Eritrea, adding 30–60 minutes (300–500 km) compared to a direct route over Eritrea,” increasing operational costs and reducing efficiency for the airline.

To address these challenges, Solomon calls for deeper diplomatic engagement with neighboring countries, the strategic use of regional platforms such as the African Union and IGAD, and active participation in international aviation forums. While economic cooperation and regional goodwill may help secure consistent access, he contends that the long-term solution lies in a broader strategic goal: “Ethiopia must secure permanent maritime access to end its dual burden of land and airspace dependency.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50723