#Saudi_Arabia executing ‘horrifying’ number of foreigners for drug crimes

Saudi Arabia has carried out a “horrifying” number of executions for drug crimes over the past decade, most of which were of foreign nationals, according to Amnesty International.

Almost 600 people have been executed over the past decade for drug-related offences, Amnesty International has found, three-quarters of whom were foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Egypt.

It highlighted the case of seven Ethiopians and a Somali man now on death row accused of trafficking 153kg of cannabis estimated to be worth about $3.8m (£2.79m). According to the men’s testimony in court documents, they were recruited with the promise of a “meagre $267 per person”.

Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International’s Middle East researcher, said: “We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty.

“Convincing states to call out and condemn Saudi rights abuses was never easy, given its deep pockets and geopolitical heft. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East … scrutiny has dwindled even further,” she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jul/08/saudi-arabia-capital-punishment-executions-foreigners-drug-offences-crime-600-people-amnesty-international

#Tigray still chooses peace even amid occupation and suffering: Interim President

Tigray's interim President Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede once again reiterated Tigray’s commitment to peace, rejecting war as a path forward despite ongoing occupation of Tigray’s territory and widespread suffering among its displaced communities.

Tigray will not initiate hostilities, President Tadesse said, in response to the recent spike in rhetoric about renewed conflicts; and cautioned against external “miscalculations that could provoke renewed conflict”.

The President’s speech was made over the weekend during the official commemoration ceremony of the 2021 Operation Alula Military Campaign by Tigrayan forces, which toppled the federally-appointed interim government from the region.

Watch

Death toll from #Kenya’s latest anti-government protest surges to 31

The death toll from Kenya’s anti-government protests on Monday has surged to 31, marking the highest single-day toll since the demonstrations began earlier this year, the state-funded human rights commission said Tuesday.

It said another 107 people were injured and more than 500 were arrested amid widespread destruction of property, including supermarkets. The arrest figure largely tracked with the one issued by police. The death toll did not say whether any security forces were included.

For weeks, youth and other citizens have taken to the streets to protest against police brutality and poor governance and to demand President William Ruto’s resignation over alleged corruption and the rising cost of living.

Ruto has not commented on Monday’s protest or its toll.

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday urged that the grievances leading to the protests are addressed. Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said he “renews his call for calm and restraint, and full respect for the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”

https://apnews.com/article/kenya-protests-death-toll-saba-saba-ruto-ca186b6c54e92852161a61b3d3f4c508

#Kenya to install high-capacity fiber optic cable along #Isiolo–#Mandera Corridor, boost cross-border connectivity with #Ethiopia and #Somalia

The Kenyan government has announced plans to install a high-capacity fiber optic cable along the Isiolo–Mandera corridor as part of its broader effort to enhance digital connectivity in northern Kenya and establish cross-border links with Ethiopia and Somalia.

The project falls under the World Bank-funded Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project (HoAGDP) and is being implemented through Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, alongside the ICT Authority. As part of the preparatory phase, the ICT Authority has launched an Early Market Engagement (EME) to consult with key players in the ICT infrastructure and connectivity sector.


Read more: https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1942877175159386260

#Ethiopia: Cut off from care: Insecurity, movement restrictions leave patients in #Amhara region struggle for lifesaving treatment

Ongoing insecurity and movement restrictions in Amhara region are severely impacting access to lifesaving healthcare, particularly for patients suffering from snakebites and kala-azar. MSF reports patients arriving late with severe complications due to blocked roads and unaffordable transport.

“Some pay up to 5,000 birr for a ride that should cost 200 birr,” said Moses CM Malual, MSF’s project coordinator in Abdurafi. “That makes it nearly impossible for those who can’t afford such high prices to access care.”

Dawit Hailu, a 30-year-old farmer, was bitten by a snake and had to be carried on a bed for 11 kilometers before reaching help. “My friends carried me because we had no other choice,” he said. Kala-azar patient Semere Sisay added, “I’ve been sick six times since 2023. MSF is the only provider of the medicine I need. My wife and children fled to Sudan, and I’ve been going through all this alone.”

Mobile outreach services, which once played a key role in reaching remote patients with kala-azar, have been scaled back or suspended due to security concerns.

MSF warns that health facilities are overwhelmed, supplies are low, and mobile outreach services have been suspended due to security concerns. “Without urgent action, preventable deaths from treatable conditions will continue to rise,” said Ana Banda, MSF’s deputy medical coordinator. Between January and May 2025, MSF treated 61 kala-azar patients and 363 snakebite cases in Abdurafi alone.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=51346

#Ethiopia: Askari Metals expands African footprint with #Nejo #Gold acquisition

The tightly held Askari Metals Ltd has taken a significant step in its African growth strategy with the acquisition of the advanced-stage Nejo Gold Project in central-western Ethiopia.

The company has secured 100% of the issued capital of Xingxu Mining International Investment Co Ltd, a Hong Kong-based entity that owns the Nejo Project, through a binding share purchase agreement with Xingguang Group Ltd.

The acquisition gives Askari full ownership of the 1,174-square-kilometre tenement on the underexplored but highly prospective Arabian-Nubian Shield, which is a highly prospective geological region known for its significant gold endowment, hosting large-scale multi-million-ounce discoveries across Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The Nejo Project is located in a globally significant gold and copper mineral province and lies within the same greenstone belt as...

https://tinyurl.com/yuotrkmo

#Eritrea posed ‘extraordinary’ situation that compelled Ethiopia ‘to adopt an exceptional position’

In a rare move that signals a sharp departure in tone and policy since Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki forged an alliance in the summer of 2018, Ethiopia has voted in favor of renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea.

“…the situation is extraordinary and compels us to adopt an exceptional position,” Ambassador Tsegab Kebebew, Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, said.

Citing national security threats, continued occupation of Ethiopia’s sovereign territory, and “gross human rights violations particularly in the border areas”, Ambassador Tsegab said “the current context marked by persistent non-cooperation and escalating threats demands robust international attention.”

The vote took place during the 30th meeting of the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council last week Friday. AS

#In_Depth_Analysis: Trapped between federal leverage and local fractures: Can #Tigray’s Interim Admin. reclaim legitimacy and deliver on a mandate not fully its own?

Four months since it was formed by a federally choregraphed ceremony in Addis Abeba, Tigray’s Interim Administration faces mounting pressure from all sides amid a deepening humanitarian and political crisis.

Trapped between federal leverage and local fragmentation, the administration of Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede is struggling to return nearly a million internally displaced people (IDPs) and restore territorial integrity. “This is a matter of life and death,” said Yohannes Tekle (PhD) of Mekelle University, underscoring the urgency of returning IDPs - particularly from Western Tigray - the fifth rainy season hits. It may well be the making and breaking of the interim administration, which was given barley one year and a litany of to-do lists.

The return of displaced communities remains paralyzed by overlapping federal inaction and internal power struggles.“The issue has become a political gamble,” said Berhanu Astebeha of Salsay Woyane, pointing to divisions within the TPLF and a federal government accused of using delay tactics.

For a historian interviewed for this in-depth “The federal government remains both the biggest challenge and the key to any solution,” stressing its role in withholding budget, blocking roads, and failing to enforce the Pretoria Agreement.

Despite these challenges, some observers see potential in the new leadership under Lt. Gen. Tadesse. His background in the security sector and relative credibility with both Mekelle and Addis Abeba could be an opportunity to unify factions and restore public trust.

“The greatest hope is that this administration is not yet entangled in internal power struggles,” one historian noted. But as time runs out, the question remains: Can the administration reclaim legitimacy and deliver on its federally choreographed mandate?

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51349

'Shoot in the 'leg'—#Kenyan leader orders police to curb violent protests

Kenya's President William Ruto has ordered police to shoot protesters targeting businesses in the legs, ensuring they are incapacitated but not killed.

The UN and human rights groups have accused the police of using excessive force in the recent wave of anti-government protests - 31 people were killed on Monday, according to a state-run body.

"Anyone caught burning another person's business or property should be shot in the leg, hospitalised, and later taken to court. Don't kill them, but ensure their legs are broken," the president said.

He further warned his political rivals against sponsoring and using violent protests and "unlawful" means to forcibly remove him from power.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dgv5e6447o.amp

#Op_ed: Unfulfilled Promises, Unstable Peace: Unresolved Western #Tigray crisis fuels regional tensions, threatens #Ethiopia’s stability

More than two years after the Pretoria Peace Agreement brought an end to Ethiopia’s devastating civil war, peace remains tenuous—primarily due to the unresolved status of Western Tigray, writes Mulat Gebreslassie, the author of this op-ed. He explains that although Western Tigray was constitutionally part of the Tigray region prior to the war, it remains under the control of #Amhara forces, preventing the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Tigrayans.

The author contends that the federal government’s inaction has significantly exacerbated this crisis. He posits that this inaction is primarily motivated by efforts to “avoid confrontation with Amhara forces,” warning that “this approach—a dangerous gambit premised on the assumption that time and fatigue will eventually compel Tigray to concede—is ultimately unsustainable.” Furthermore, he emphasizes that the unresolved status of Western Tigray has simultaneously become the principal grievance leveraged by the #TPLF to “reignite nationalist sentiment.” The TPLF, Mulat notes, portrays federal inaction as “betrayal and neglect,” thus granting itself “a lifeline beyond its natural expiration.”

The op-ed also identifies both external and internal obstacles undermining the full implementation of the peace accord. Chief among the external challenges is #Eritrea, a non-signatory to the #Pretoria Agreement, whose continued troop presence in Tigray’s border areas “violates Ethiopia’s sovereignty and obstructs IDP returns.” Internally, the prevailing narrative in the Amhara region that Western Tigray is “reclaimed ancestral land” poses a direct challenge to constitutional authority and undermines reconciliation efforts.

The author underscores that “altered realities stemming from the 2020 war are unsustainable” and asserts that identity-based claims “must be addressed strictly through constitutional mechanisms.” He further contends that the achievement of lasting peace will necessitate the “full and uncompromising” implementation of the peace agreement, which encompasses “the safe and dignified return of all #IDPs, resolving Western Tigray’s status constitutionally, and the withdrawal of non-ENDF forces.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51361

Six rescued, 15 missing after #Houthi attack on cargo ship in #Red_Sea

Six crew members have been rescued from a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, according to a European Union naval force, after an attack claimed by #Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The assault, which sank the Greek-owned vessel on Wednesday, also killed at least four sailors and left 15 others missing, the Reuters news agency reported, citing maritime officials.

The Houthis said the attack on the Eternity C had been conducted on Monday using an unmanned boat and missiles, and was carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, to pressure the Israeli military to end its assault on the besieged enclave.

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said that the Eternity C had been headed towards Israel, and that the Houthis had also “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location”.

The rebels released a video they said depicted their attack on Eternity C. It included a call for the crew to evacuate and showed explosions on the ship before it sank.

The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO), run by the British military, had said on Tuesday that the ship sustained “significant damage” and “lost all propulsion”.

https://aje.io/dl4nmi

#US slashes #Ethiopian visa validity, entry limit

Starting 8 July 2025, the U.S. has revised its visa rules for Ethiopian citizens, limiting “most nonimmigrant visas” to single-entry and a 3-month validity, the State Department announced.

Visas issued before this date will remain unaffected by the change, according to the announcement made through the U.S. Embassy in Addis Abeba.

Analysis: Renewed security crisis in #Metekel Zone, #Benishagul_Gumuz rekindles longstanding instability

The Metekel Zone of Benishangul-Gumuz is once again at the center of a growing security crisis. A new wave of violence that began in May 2025 has shattered the fragile calm the region had seen since 2022.

Most recently, on 06 July, at least one person was killed, several homes were burned, and civilians were reportedly raped and looted in Donbon Kebele, Debate Woreda. Local residents and a leader of the Boro Democratic Party who spoke to Addis Standard allege that the attacks are being carried out by fighters of the “Shene militants”, the term commonly used to refer to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).

An OLA representative told Addis Standard the group is reviewing the reports and will respond in due course.

This resurgence recalls the brutal 2019-2022 crises in Metekel Zone, where hundreds of people were killed and thousands displaced. The re-emergence and growing activities of “Gumuz militants” in Dangur and Guba woredas are also reported in connection with the current crises.

Earlier government attempts to stabilize Metekel, including peace deals and local militia recruitment, now appear to be unraveling. Residents say the current deployments of federal and regional forces are insufficient.

Addis Standard made repeated attempts to reach the head of the Debate Woreda Police Office and the regional Peace Building Bureau for comment, but both efforts were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=51364

#Trump presses #African leaders to take deported migrants, sources say

The Trump administration this week pressed five African presidents to take in migrants from other countries when they are deported by the U.S., two officials familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Thursday.

The plan was presented to the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon during their visit to the White House on Wednesday, according to a U.S. and a Liberian official who both asked not to be named.

The White House and official spokespeople for the five nations did not respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear if any of the countries had agreed to the plan.

Since returning to office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing to speed up deportations, including by sending migrants to third countries when there are problems or delays over sending them to their home nations.

On Saturday, eight migrants - from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam, according to their lawyers - arrived in South Sudan's capital after they lost a legal battle to halt their transfer.

Wednesday's meeting at the White House had been organised partly to talk about the deportation plan, the U.S. official said. Liberia's government was "preparing to accommodate" an effort to house migrants in its capital Monrovia, the U.S. official added.

The Liberian official confirmed that the deportation plan was a focus of Wednesday's meeting, but did not say whether Liberian President Joseph Boakai had agreed to it.

The Wall Street Journal reported, opens new tab on Wednesday that an internal State Department document sent to the African governments before the meeting called on them to agree to the "dignified, safe, and timely transfer from the United States" of third country nationals.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trump-presses-african-leaders-take-deported-migrants-sources-say-2025-07-10/

News: #Tigray Orthodox Church leaders express concern over PM Abiy's remarks, assessment of reality of Tigray people

Religious leaders of the Tigray Orthodox Church have expressed concerns over recent remarks made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, cautioning that his assessment of the region's situation is “disconnected from the lived experiences of the people.”

In a statement released Wednesday, they said the Prime Minister’s speech risks deepening the humanitarian crisis and undermining the fragile peace process. They cited the ongoing failure to return displaced persons and restore essential services as evidence of the disconnect.

“The Prime Minister’s speech did not take into account the economic and social realities of Tigray,” the leaders said. “This raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to fully addressing the needs of our people.”

The Church announced it will send a delegation of elders to meet the Prime Minister to convey the concerns of Tigrayans and push for a more responsive approach.

While PM Abiy called on religious leaders to help prevent renewed conflict during his parliamentary address last week, the Tigray Orthodox Church said true peace requires understanding and addressing the economic and social realities in Tigray. The leaders also urged international actors and religious institutions to amplify Tigrayan voices and ensure the government fulfills its obligations under the Pretoria Agreement.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=51369

#Turkey’s mediation stalls in #Somalia–#Ethiopia sea access dispute

Turkey’s year-long push to defuse the bitter dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia has reportedly stalled, Somali and Ethiopian diplomats said Wednesday, after negotiators broke off contact over Addis Ababa’s bid for direct sea access through Somaliland.

The mediation, launched in Ankara in February 2024, aimed to calm tensions sparked when landlocked Ethiopia signed a contentious memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on January 1, 2024, granting it a 20-kilometre naval and commercial corridor to the Gulf of Aden in exchange for potential diplomatic recognition of the self-declared republic. Somalia denounced the pact as “an open breach” of its sovereignty and began an aggressive diplomatic campaign to block it.

Three Ankara-hosted rounds culminated in a provisional “Ankara Declaration” on Dec. 11, 2024, in which both sides agreed to technical talks and pledged to respect each other’s territorial integrity. However, those expert-level meetings, held from February 2 to 4, 2025, faltered over the sequencing of maritime access and recognition, and no session has been scheduled since April, two officials familiar with the process told HOL on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed restated his country’s position to parliament on July 3, calling sea access “an existential matter”, echoing a Jan. 5, 2024, speech in which he warned Ethiopia could not remain “an island surrounded by water”. Somalia’s Foreign Ministry responded by labelling the Somaliland deal a “destabilizing land grab” and urged the U.N. Security Council to intervene.

Diplomats warn that the stalemate could hamper anti-piracy patrols in the busy Gulf of Aden and Red Sea corridor, complicate humanitarian deliveries across Somalia’s drought-hit north, and erode the fragile security gains made against al-Shabab. For now, no mediator appears ready to step into Turkey’s place, leaving the region’s most contentious maritime question unresolved.

https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2025/July/202138/turkey_s_mediation_stalls_in_somalia%E2%80%93ethiopia_sea_access_dispute.aspx

#Egypt, #Eritrea Foreign Ministers discuss #Horn_of_Africa, #Red_Sea current affairs

Egyptian and Eritrean foreign ministers, Badr Abdelatty and Osman Saleh, respectively, held a phone conversation on Thursday, reaffirming their “commitment to deepen” bilateral ties and regional coordination.

The call underscored both countries' desire to build on recent diplomatic gains and expand cooperation across multiple sectors, guided by the directives of Presidents Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Isaias Afwerki, Ahram online reported.

The report said the ministers agreed to maintain close coordination on Horn of Africa and Red Sea developments. There is no official readout from Asmara at the time of publication.

Their discussion came days after President el-Sisi met with Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Egyptian coastal city of El Alamein and pledged intensified military support to Somalia and renewed Egypt’s interest in securing the Red Sea...

More: https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1943612873499881530