News: Four assault #rifles, nearly 300 rounds of #ammunition ‘seized during sudden search on bed rental homes’ in Addis Abeba: city police

Addis Abeba City police said four Kalashnikov rifles and 298 bullets were seized during a “sudden search” on bedroom rental facilities in Woreda 7, Kebele 32 of Addis Ketema Sub-City.

“We conduct these sudden inspections as part of our commitment to ensuring public safety and responding to suspicious activity,” said Commander Markos Tadesse, Head of Public Relations at the Addis Abeba Police Commission.

Four individuals: Fikadu Manaye, Adanech Gobeze, Yohannes Fikadu, and Yonas Bekele, were identified as suspects under investigations.

The announcement comes days after on 25 July the Federal Police vowed to carry out sweeping inspections across Addis Abeba and surrounding areas targeting  what it termed “anti-peace forces” as well as individuals accused of using “social media to incite unrest.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51594

#Belarus, #Ethiopia explore establishment of joint ventures to assemble farm machines

Belarus and Ethiopia are negotiating the establishment of joint ventures to assemble agricultural machinery, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Gedion Timothewos told journalists following his meeting with the president of Belarus, BelTA reports.

“Currently, our countries are discussing the specifics of the establishment of joint ventures in Ethiopia to assemble Belarusian agricultural machinery using Belarusian equipment and technologies. Subsequently, we hope that machinery assembled in our country can be marketed to other African nations. I expect negotiations in this area to conclude in the very near future,” the foreign minister stated.

He noted that Belarusian machinery enjoys an excellent reputation in Ethiopia. “This equipment is highly reliable, durable, and user-friendly. Our farmers have only positive feedback about your machinery,” Gedion Timothewos emphasized.

Addis Abeba anticipates substantial advantages from cooperation between Ethiopian and Belarusian companies.
The bilateral cooperation will focus on deepening interaction in economy and investment. Ethiopia seeks to modernize its agricultural sector through cooperation with Belarus.

https://eng.belta.by/economics/view/belarus-ethiopia-explore-establishment-of-joint-ventures-to-assemble-farm-machines-170001-2025/

#Commentary: Purity and Power: #Sidama politics still shackled by old ideologies

The Sidama people, known for their distinct cultural identity, gained regional statehood in 2019 after years of struggle. However, the author of this commentary argues that the region's political landscape remains deeply influenced by centuries-old systems—most notably, Wolapho, an ideology of "ritual purity" that determined an individual's access to power, resources, and social status based on their "lineage and clan." He writes, "In modern Sidama politics, Wolapho continues to manifest through favoritism, exclusion, and discrimination, despite the democratic rhetoric adopted by many political parties operating in the region."

The author explains that this ideology, rooted in the 17th century, "evolved from a traditional purification process into a rigid political hierarchy," with the Yemericho clan at the top, while others such as the Hadicho, Aleta, and Hoffa were categorized as "unpurified." He further elaborates that "over time, the political landscape shifted as the Aleta clan challenged the Yemericho," leading to an alliance, while the Hadicho and Hoffa "remained excluded" from this purity-based hierarchy system.

According to the article, several political parties in Sidama, despite their stated goals, continue to uphold this ongoing division in this modern age. The Sidama Liberation Movement (#SLM), for instance, includes "Wolaphote" (purification) in its name, reflecting “a lingering attachment to exclusionary tribal ideology. The Sidama People's Democratic Organization (#SPDO), formed under the #EPRDF, also "institutionalized division by adopting the divisive ideology." Despite its integration-focused Medemer philosophy, the Prosperity Party has struggled to implement real change, as "local appointments and resource distribution continue to reflect ancestral hierarchies."

The author emphasizes that "the persistence of purification (Wolapho) ideology across Sidama's political spectrum represents more than historical curiosity; it constitutes a fundamental barrier to democratic governance and comprehensive development." For genuine change, he urges political parties to "explicitly reject purification ideology by publicly renouncing tribal hierarchies and establishing internal safeguards against tribal favoritism."

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51589

After backing #Ethiopia’s quest for #sea access, #Belarus President signals deepening ties with Addis Abeba on #political, #economic fronts

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko pledged his country’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Ethiopia, expressing strong “political and economic interest” in expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

During a meeting in Minsk with Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos today, President Lukashenko spoke of the historical significance of the relationship and Belarus’ readiness to offer technological, agricultural, and engineering support.

“Ethiopia is one of the most important countries in East Africa for us,” he said, citing mutual benefits and a shared Soviet-era legacy as the foundation for future collaboration.

In October, the Belarusian leader voiced strong support for Ethiopia’s ambition to secure access to the sea.

The Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) quoted Lukashenko as saying that those who oppose Ethiopia’s maritime access were “complete fools,” adding, “through war or through negotiations, Ethiopia will still reach the sea. It is better, of course, through peaceful means.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51597

Analysis: Why #Somali Region’s controversial restructuring triggers widespread backlash and memories of unresolved border dispute with #Oromia

A controversial administrative overhaul by the Somali Regional State Council, involving the creation of 14 new woredas and four new zonal administrations, has sparked widespread protests and fierce political backlash.

A senior Somali official tells Addis Standard the changes are “strictly internal” and are about service delivery and governance, not land grabbing.

But the Somali region claim is increasingly met with grassroots resistance from Oromia and Somali regions.

Demonstrations erupted in multiple towns across Borana and Afder zones in the two regions; protesters in Oromia region say the move will enable Somali region’s encroachment especially into the Borana land, Somali region protesters fear the move favors the leaderships’ “clan fiefdoms” and is done “without proper consultations.”

The push back from opposition parties is no less. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) denounced the move as a “declaration of war” and an “unlawful occupation” of Oromo land, while the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) accused the Somali government of “gerrymandering” and deepening inter-ethnic divides. The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) went further, framing the restructuring as part of a federal strategy to divide and destabilize. A former cabinet minister called it “a dangerous precedent.”  

Amid the protests and criticisms from all directions, the Oromia regional government has remained notably silent.

But Haji Godana Kulu, a local representative of a Oromia regional council, agrees with critics. In an interview with Addis Standard, he warned the decision undermines the ongoing work of the Oromia–Somali border commission.

As memories of the 2004 unresolved border referendum and the mid-2010s deadly clashes in border areas of the two regions resurface, fears of renewed inter-communal conflict are mounting.

Read the analysis….

https://addisstandard.com/somali-regions-controversial-restructuring-sparks-grassroot-resistance-political-parties-armed-group-push-back-region-denies-allegations

#UK to recognise state of #Palestine in September unless #Israel holds to a ceasefire

The UK will formally recognise the state of Palestine this September as a result of the “increasingly intolerable” situation on the ground in Gaza, unless Israel abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Keir Starmer’s cabinet has agreed a roadmap for peace in the region after coming under intense domestic pressure over the mounting humanitarian crisis in the territory, and calls to follow France in acknowledging statehood.

The prime minister recalled his cabinet from their summer break to approve the plan after holding talks with Donald Trump in Scotland. The US president said the issue had not come up, but that he did “not mind” the UK taking a position, even if he would not.

Starmer told his ministers that, because of the catastrophic situation on the ground in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of reaching a two-state solution, now was the right time to finally move.

“Ultimately, the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement,” he told reporters. “Our goal remains a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, but right now, that goal is under pressure like never before.”

He added: “I have always said that we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution. With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”

UN-backed experts said a “worst-case scenario of famine” was playing out in Gaza as the World Food Programme (WFP) described the hunger crisis in the territory as the worst seen this century, comparing it to previous famines in #Ethiopia and #Biafra. Israel has denied its actions in Gaza have caused famine.

It came as the death toll from Israeli attacks in the war passed 60,000 people according to Gaza health ministry figures, almost half of them women and children.

Israel has repeatedly limited aid trucks reaching Gaza during 22 months of war, and halted shipments entirely for six weeks at the start of the war, and between March and mid-May this year.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/29/uk-to-recognise-state-of-palestine-in-september-unless-israel-holds-to-a-ceasefire

Massive #earthquake off #Russian coast sparks #tsunami warnings across #Pacific

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia set off multiple tsunamis in the northern Pacific early Wednesday, with authorities from Hawaii to New Zealand issuing warnings. The quake was recorded as the world's strongest since the shock that caused meltdowns at a Japan nuclear power plant in 2011.

One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami had been generated by the quake that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.


https://www.france24.com/en/environment/20250730-massive-earthquake-off-russian-coast-sparks-tsunami-warnings-across-pacific

‘We often go to bed on empty stomachs': In #Ethiopia's #Afar region, hunger takes its toll

In northern Ethiopia, the freeze on #USAID threatens to worsen food insecurity, already affecting thousands of families impacted by land drying up.

****
Farah waited silently in the corridor of the pediatric ward at Abala Hospital in northern Ethiopia. Sitting on a small bench with her 8-month-old baby on her lap, the 32-year-old woman appeared calm that morning. "He's almost recovered because he's eating properly now," she said, adjusting the yellow scarf slipping from her forehead. "When I first came here two months ago, he was very sick. Because of his diarrhea, he became very weak. I was scared." Farah, a single mother of three, has never been able to feed her baby the way she wanted to. "I didn't have milk," she said. "I eat very little myself: a bit of bread in the morning and sometimes a piece in the evening. I cannot afford real meals. The little money we have comes from my eldest son, who sells toothbrushes on the street."

Like Farah, every day, dozens of mothers turn up at Abala hospital with their malnourished children. Between January and February 2025, 1,768 new cases of severe acute malnutrition were detected, an increase of 44.3% compared to the same period in 2024, according to the non-governmental organization Première Urgence Internationale, which oversees treatment in the ward.

In this arid region, the prevalence of this condition stands at 15%, exceeding the critical threshold set by the World Health Organization. In its latest report published in January 2025, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, a US-based alert and prevention network, classified the northwest of the region, where Abala is located, as being in an "emergency situation" – one step short of famine. In total, in Ethiopia, more than 10 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition, the World Food Program warned in April.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2025/07/29/we-often-go-to-bed-on-empty-stomachs-in-ethiopia-s-afar-region-hunger-takes-its-toll_6743856_124.html

#HRW urges lawmakers to #reject civil society bill, calls on #Ethiopia’s partners to #denounce proposed law

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Ethiopian lawmakers to reject proposed amendments to the country’s civil society law, warning that the bill would grant sweeping powers to the federal government and severely restrict civic space. The organization also called on Ethiopia’s international partners to denounce the draft and emphasize the need for any legal reforms to align with international human rights standards.

In its latest publication, HRW said, “Ethiopian lawmakers should reject proposed amendments to the civil society law that would grant the government sweeping powers to restrict nongovernmental organizations.” It further urged international actors to speak out against the bill, which has not yet been tabled before parliament.

Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said the proposal risks undoing the progress made under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration. “The proposed amendments to Ethiopia’s civil society law would dismantle the very reforms Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government had enacted,” she said.

She further warned that the bill poses a serious threat to civic engagement and rights advocacy. “Adopting these amendments would be a deadly blow to the country’s civil society and civic space,” she added.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51609

Breakaway #Africa Region seeks #US recognition with base, minerals

#Somaliland, which proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991, is willing to offer the US a military base at the entrance to the Red Sea and critical-minerals deals in its quest for international recognition as a sovereign state.

While the US currently acknowledges Somalia’s claim to the territory, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi is lobbying Washington to support the semi-autonomous region’s push for recognition — joining a wider competition for Donald Trump’s attention as the US vies with China for strategic resources in Africa.

Abdullahi, who came to power in the breakaway Horn of Africa region in 2024, said talks with the US Embassy in Somalia and Department of Defense are aimed at securing a new partnership on economic cooperation, security and counter-terrorism.

“We discussed ways and means to collaborate in security, in trade and in regional stability,” the president said in an interview on Monday, noting that the US ambassador to Somalia has visited Somaliland several times in recent months, while defense officials traveled to his region in December.

The U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment.

Somaliland has failed to gain international recognition as a sovereign state since proclaiming independence. But while Somalia has grappled with three decades of civil war and an entrenched Islamist-militant insurgency, the breakaway region has been mostly peaceful.

Recognizing strategically placed Somaliland would strengthen America’s foothold in an increasingly important region, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen target ships with links to Israel, the US and other nations supporting the war in Gaza. The United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, already runs a port at Berbera in Somaliland and controls a nearby airstrip that’s used by military planes.

The US would also have to consider what Somaliland recognition would mean for security co-operation with Somalia, where it’s played a major role in helping the government fight Islamic State and Al-Qaida affiliates. Africa Command deputy head John Brennan said fighting terror groups was “our main effort,” especially in eastern Africa.

“That’s where most of our people are,” he told reporters Monday. “It’s the biggest investment that we have.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-30/breakaway-africa-region-seeks-us-recognition-with-base-minerals

News: ‘Mothers going to bed after one loaf of bread a day”: #Drought devastates thousands in Central and South #Gondar

Severe drought conditions in #Ethiopia’s #Amhara regional state are affecting tens of thousands in both Central and South Gondar zones, leading to widespread food insecurity, livestock deaths, and internal migration.

In Central Gondar Zone’s West Belesa district, more than 32,000 people in six kebeles—Sami, Lava Mariam, Asawgari, Jandab, Laye, and Sera—are facing acute food shortages due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, according to Wasihun Kefyalew, head of the Central Gondar zone agriculture office. “3,000 hectares of crops have been damaged” and “over 1,200 animals” have perished since May 2025, he told Addis Standard.

In the neighboring South Gondar Zone, the Disaster Prevention and Food Security Office reported that over 175,000 people across 57 kebeles in seven districts are experiencing similar drought conditions. Abebaw Ayenew, a communications expert at the office, told Deutsche Welle that the government has distributed 12,419 quintals of food grains to affected areas including Ebinat, Samada, Sede Muja, and Meket.

However, residents say the aid is insufficient. A witness from Lay Gaint district told Deutsche Welle that locals “have nothing to eat,” and many are resorting to migration. Mitraba, Daba Wotokos, Lay Negala, and Tach Negala kebeles were named among the hardest-hit.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51611

#Tigray Supreme Court orders release of 500 million birr to pay #teachers’ #unpaid salaries

The Tigray Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of over 500 million birr from the Regional Bureau of Finance’s account at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to cover unpaid salaries for teachers across the region.

The ruling comes a week after the court temporarily froze the bank accounts of the Tigray Interim Administration, following revelations that the administration held approximately 500 million birr in one account and about 10 million birr in another under the Federal Ministry of Finance—despite owing teachers 17 months of unpaid wages. The case, filed by the Tigray Teachers’ Association in August 2024, ultimately led to the account freeze to prevent further withdrawals.

The court rejected the administration’s argument that the frozen funds were needed for “administrative purposes,” ruling the justification insufficient. The court then ordered the immediate release of 500 million birr to settle the teachers’ overdue salaries.
Additionally, the court instructed prosecutors to submit a detailed breakdown of how the funds will be distributed among teachers and to provide an inventory of any related assets. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for 06 August, 2025, to review compliance.


https://addisstandard.com/?p=51616

#Eritrean #Afar National Congress opens office in #Semera, declares readiness for #armed struggle from #Ethiopia

The Eritrean Afar National Congress (EANC), a political group opposing Eritrea’s government, has announced it is preparing for armed struggle against the regime of President Isaias Afwerki.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, EANC executive committee member and spokesperson Ali Mohammed Omer said the group has opened an office in Semera, the capital of Ethiopia’s Afar Region, and plans to expand operations to Addis Abeba.

“The Ethiopian government has given us the opportunity to operate and speak,” he stated, adding that their return to the region signals a shift from diaspora-based advocacy to active mobilization on the ground.

The announcement comes two weeks after the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), an Ethiopia-based armed insurgent group, held a public conference in Semera on 13 July. RSADO said its political and military campaign against the Eritrean government, pledging continued struggle until the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is dismantled and the Red Sea Afar people’s right to self-determination are recognized.

https://addisstandard.com/eritrean-afar-national-congress-opens-office-in-semera-declares-readiness-for-armed-struggle-from-ethiopia

#Askari launches regional exploration at #Nejo Gold and #Copper Project in #Ethiopia

Askari Metals Ltd has launched a systematic regional exploration campaign at its flagship Nejo Gold and Copper Project in central-western Ethiopia, targeting high-grade, shallow gold and copper mineralisation across two major gold corridors.

The 1,174-square-kilometre project, situated in the underexplored Arabian-Nubian Shield and surrounding the 1.7-million-ounce Tulu Kapi gold mine, is considered one of the company’s most prospective brownfields assets. Initial reconnaissance work is now under way, with trenching, mapping and sampling planned to refine drill targets ahead of a fourth-quarter 2025 campaign.

“Commencing fieldwork to validate and expand upon historical exploration is a key step in unlocking the potential of the Nejo Project,” said Askari executive director Gino D’Anna.

“Our immediate focus will be on the high-grade Guliso and Guji-Gudeya Trends, where past trenching and drilling confirmed significant shallow mineralisation,” he added. “This initial reconnaissance program — including mapping, soil sampling and rock sampling — lays the foundation for a focused drilling campaign.”

https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/1075776/askari-launches-regional-exploration-at-nejo-gold-and-copper-project-in-ethiopia-1075776.html

#Op_ed: No Compensation, No Justice: #Oromia President’s land confiscation remark challenges constitutional order, threatens property rights

In a 19 July, 2025, address to the Oromia Regional State Council (#Caffee_Oromia), President Shemiles Abdissa made a controversial remark concerning land acquired for public projects: “In the past, we didn’t know about paying compensation, and we won’t pay it in the future either.” Hassen Mame Muse, the author of this op-ed, argues that the remark is not merely a policy stance—it constitutes a direct challenge to #Ethiopia’s constitutional order and poses a serious threat to one of the most fundamental rights: private property.

The author notes that property rights are enshrined in international law, citing the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “Everyone has the right to own property… and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.” He further explains that both the FDRE Constitution and Oromia’s regional constitution reflect these principles by guaranteeing compensation for expropriation. Specifically, Article 40(8) of the FDRE Constitution requires the government to provide “in advance of compensation commensurate to the value of the property” when acquiring land for public use.

Hassen contends that the president’s statement regarding the non-payment of compensation for projects in the Oromia region constitutes “a grave threat to the constitutionally guaranteed private property rights of citizens and the rule of law in Ethiopia.” He further emphasizes, “It is imperative that all branches of government uphold their constitutional obligations and actively oppose any actions that infringe upon the fundamental rights of citizens.” The author cautions that “failure to do so risks setting a dangerous precedent, eroding public trust, and potentially destabilizing the region.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51623