#Op_ed: From #Red_Sea to #Indian Ocean: Why recognizing #Somaliland could be India’s hidden ace for maritime dominance, promoting democratic values

In this op-ed, Gulaid Yusuf Idaan advocates for India’s formal recognition of Somaliland. He notes that Somaliland has achieved remarkable stability in a volatile region, boasting a “functioning democracy, regular elections, and judicial independence." The author underscores that its strategic location near the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait “lends Somaliland considerable maritime and geopolitical significance.” For India, he argues, the situation presents a unique opportunity to advance its Indo-Pacific strategy and counter China’s regional influence through “the formal recognition of Somaliland.”

Idaan posits that establishing formal relations would bring India closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint for 10% of global trade. Such a move, he contends, "offers India a rare diplomatic opportunity to counterbalance China and deepen its Indo-Pacific strategy." Central to this is the port of Berbera. The author emphasizes that "access to Berbera provides India a crucial maritime advantage close to China's base in Djibouti," which he says is essential for “securing the sea lanes that carry 90% of India’s trade.”

The op-ed also highlights diplomatic alignment. It states that “Somaliland's bold diplomatic engagement with Taiwan since 2020 challenges Chinese orthodoxy.” Given India's own border tensions with Beijing, Idaan suggests that it could adopt a "strategic hedging" approach, proposing that “a decentralized axis involving India, Somaliland, and Taiwan” could represent a form of “unofficial diplomacy” grounded in shared democratic values.

The author situates this potential move within India’s history of supporting independence movements, such as those in Namibia and Bangladesh. He draws a contrast with other global powers, stating that unlike China and Russia, "India places greater emphasis on democratic legitimacy rather than the preservation of regimes." He concludes that “Recognizing Somaliland would reaffirm India’s post-colonial ideals” while simultaneously opening “new avenues for trade, intelligence sharing, and regional cooperation.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50953

#Ethiopia is Africa’s most expensive country to live in – Report

Ethiopia has been ranked 53rd in the world with cost of living index, becoming Africa’s most expensive country to live in.

The world’s largest cost of living database in its latest report said people in Ethiopia now spend more money on basic things like food, transportation, and dining compared to other African countries.

The report noscriptd “Cost of Living Index by Country 2025” shows that Ethiopia is ranked 53rd in the world with cost of living index 46.5, higher than any other African country listed.

The high cost of groceries is one of the main reasons for Ethiopia’s top ranking. This shows that it is becoming harder for people to afford their weekly shopping, especially for families living on fixed or low incomes.

https://apanews.net/ethiopia-is-africas-most-expensive-country-to-live-in-report/

#Kenya: Opposition to file #ICC case against Ruto over police killings, link to #Sudan militia

The United Opposition has accused President William Ruto’s administration of overseeing extrajudicial killings, deploying rogue police units, and forming illegal alliances with militia gangs, which they say mirror Haiti-style death squads.

The opposition bloc now says it is compiling evidence for submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking to have President Ruto held accountable for alleged crimes against humanity.

In a strongly worded statement released Wednesday, the opposition condemned what it termed as “brazen shooting of unarmed citizens” during Tuesday’s peaceful protests in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), blaming the National Police Service (NPS) for carrying out what it described as “rampant and senseless extrajudicial killings.”

The opposition political faction painted a grim picture of what it claims is a coordinated crackdown on dissent, accusing the police of acting as “judge, jury, and executioner” under a “paranoid and repressive regime.”

They further allege that police officers are working in collaboration with militia groups, described as similar in nature to Haiti’s armed gangs, to violently suppress public protests.

“What is now clear is the Kenya-led Haiti Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission was not a peacekeeping mission, but a benchmarking trip by Ruto on the use of militia to terrorize a nation on taxpayers' money,” read the statement signed by Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, Justin Muturi, Eugene Wamalwa, Mukhisa Kituyi and Saitoti Torome.

https://www.citizen.digital/news/opposition-to-file-icc-case-against-ruto-over-police-killings-link-to-sudan-militia-n364852

#CETU proposes #tax exemption for workers earning up to 8,320 birr; renews call for minimum #wage board

The Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) has recommended that workers earning monthly salaries of up to 8,320 birr be fully exempted from income tax, citing international wage benchmarks and the worsening cost of living for low-income earners.

Kasahun Folo, president of CETU, told Addis Standard that the recommendation was made during a stakeholder forum organized by the Ministry of Finance, where a baseline tax study was presented. “We have recommended to the ministry that workers earning within this income bracket should be exempt from tax,” he said, arguing that these workers are “within the poverty line.”

“Even though they are workers, they are below the poverty line,” he continued. “This means they cannot survive. Therefore, we said they should not pay tax.”

https://addisstandard.com/cetu-proposes-tax-exemption-for-workers-earning-up-to-8320-birr-renews-call-for-minimum-wage-board/

#Israel welcomes 'all help' in striking #Iran, Trump to decide 'within two weeks'

Israel on Thursday welcomed "all help" in striking Iran's nuclear sites as President Donald Trump dangled the prospect of US involvement in the war, saying he will decide "within the next two weeks".

Israel, claiming Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch-enemy last week, triggering deadly exchanges.

After an Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital on Thursday, in an attack that Tehran said targeted a military and intelligence base, Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a threat against Iran's supreme leader, spiking tensions in the week-old war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would "pay a heavy price" for the strike on Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba that left 40 people injured and the facility in flames.

In a televised interview later on Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel is "capable of striking all of Iran's nuclear facilities" but "all help is welcome".

"Trump will do what is good for the United States, and I will do what is good for the State of Israel," Netanyahu told public broadcaster Kan.

Citing "the fact that there's a substantial chance" to resume nuclear negotiations with Iran -- which had been derailed by the Israeli attacks -- Trump said in a statement he will decide "whether or not to go within the next two weeks".

Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had asked to send officials to the White House to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme and end the conflict with Israel.

Iran denied it would do so, but its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is due to attend nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday with top diplomats from France, Britain, Germany and the European Union, officials and diplomats said.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2025/Jun/19/israel-welcomes-all-help-in-striking-iran-trump-to-decide-within-two-weeks

#Ethiopian wildlife official raises alarm as #Walia ibex numbers plummet to 306

The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority has reported that the Walia ibex population has plummeted to a mere 306, prompting urgent calls for religious leaders to publicly denounce the killing of the animal.

Kumera Wakjira, director of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, told the Ethiopian Press Agency that although the ibex was historically shielded from harm due to deep-rooted religious and cultural reverence, such protective customs have gradually eroded in recent years. Now confined solely to the Simien Mountains National Park, the species teeters on the brink of extinction.

Read more at

https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1935961884689097148?t=3qD-hPOGrPxqcgW5CnCbow&s=19

Updated

#Just_in - #Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today received General Michael Langley, U.S. Marine Corps and Commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), for what he described as “discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.”

The U.S embassy in Addis Abeba said “Their discussions focused on countering terrorist threats from al-Shabaab and ISIS in the Horn of Africa.”

The meeting in Addis Abeba comes just a day after Somaliland confirmed, that General Langley was part of a high-level U.S. delegation led by Ambassador
Richard Riley that visited Hargeisa and held talks with with President Abdirahman Irro and other senior officials.

According to the press statement issued by the Somaliland presidency, the delegation held talks on “shared security, maritime, and defense interests,” and visited the port city of Berbera to assess infrastructure relevant to regional security cooperation.

37 #Ethiopians among scores of foreign nationals at “imminent risk” of execution in #Saudi_Arabia: rights groups report

At least 37 Ethiopian men are facing execution in Saudi Arabia for drug-related offences, according to a joint statement by 31 civil society and human rights organizations. The groups warned of an “imminent risk” of execution for hundreds of foreign nationals held in the kingdom, mostly for non-lethal drug-related charges.

In the statement released on 17 June, the signatories—including Reprieve, ALQST for Human Rights, and the African Academy of Diplomacy—said they are “gravely fearful for the lives” of detainees, particularly Ethiopian, #Somalia, and #Egyptian nationals. Citing data from the Saudi Press Agency, they stated that 98 individuals have been executed in 2025 alone for drug-related offences, most of them foreign nationals.

The statement noted that “19 Somali and seven Ethiopian nationals have been publicly reported as executed this year,” including “three Ethiopian nationals” who were executed on 16 June. The groups added that “37 Ethiopian men and 27 Somali nationals” remain on death row in Najran Central Prison in southwestern Saudi Arabia, while 26 Egyptian nationals are held in Tabuk Central Prison in the northwest.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50971

News Analysis: #Ethiopia among #African countries at epicenter of rising conflicts: Global Peace Index 2025

Global Peace Index 2025 by the Institute for Economics & Peace places Ethiopia among Africa’s most volatile conflict epicenters - alongside Sudan, South Sudan, and the DRC. “There are currently 59 active state-based conflicts globally, the highest since World War II, and Africa is home to some of the most dangerous of them,” the report warns.

Despite the end of the two-year devastating war in the #Tigray region following the Pretoria agreement Ethiopia’s tensions with Eritrea remain a major flashpoint, with the report naming the Ethiopia/Eritrea dyad among “the highest risk of rapid and severe escalation.”

Although the report doesn’t explore other conflicts within Ethiopia in depth, the ongoing militarized conflicts in Amhara and Oromia regions continue to devastate civilians and infrastructure. The Amhara region has endured nearly two years of conflict involving government forces and Fano militias, while Oromia’s six-year conflict with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) remains unresolved.

Similarly, more than 11,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks due to armed violence in the border areas of Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions.

Africa’s conflict burden is increasingly externalized. Countries like Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana are now engaged in five or more external conflicts, often under peacekeeping or counterinsurgency roles. “We are entering an age of global power fragmentation,” IEP notes, highlighting a growing “peace inequality” as fewer conflicts end in peace agreements.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=50980

#Ethiopia, #UN sign new development cooperation framework agreement

The Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations have signed a new Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the period 2025–2030.

“An estimated US$6.5 billion is required to implement the framework fully over five years. Currently, approximately US$1.5 billion has been mobilized, leaving a funding gap of US$5 billion. Addressing this gap will be critical for realizing the framework’s objectives and ensuring impactful results,” the Ministry said.

Read More at: https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1936031174947663935