#Somalia says talks ongoing with #Puntland, #Jubaland to resolve electoral disputes

Somalia’s federal government has confirmed that productive talks are ongoing with the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland, aimed at resolving electoral disputes ahead of upcoming national and local elections.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in an interview with Saudi-based Al-Arabiya TV, said open dialogue is underway to address disagreements over the electoral process, particularly concerning Puntland and Jubaland.

Addressing the situation in Jubaland, President Mohamud expressed optimism that outstanding issues could be resolved before both the local and national elections.

“The channels of communication remain open, and we are continuing dialogue and engagement with the leadership of Jubaland and Puntland,” he said.

https://shabellemedia.com/somalia-says-talks-ongoing-with-puntland-jubaland-to-resolve-electoral-disputes/

News: #Ethiopia submits ‘sufficient written clarification' to UN Security Council on #Egypt’s GERD complaint - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (#MoFA) has announced that Ethiopia has submitted a detailed “written clarification” to the #UN Security Council in response to a complaint lodged by Egypt regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

At a press briefing on Thursday, 18 September, MoFA spokesperson Ambassador Nebiyat Getachew said the inauguration of the GERD has “shifted the narrative of water use from an unfair to an equitable one.” He added that the project has strengthened Ethiopia’s diplomatic standing and enhanced its regional influence.

Addressing questions on Egypt’s complaint, Ambassador Nebiyat underscored that “Ethiopia only desires equitable water use and a fair right to development.” He further stressed that the country’s position and interests are “justified,” ....
https://addisstandard.com/?p=52451

#Op_ed: From #Kathmandu to #Addis_Abeba: #Ethiopia's looming lesson

Recently, #Nepal has been embroiled in its most significant unrest in decades. By September 2025, protesters had stormed the parliament, set fire to the prime minister's residence, and clashed with police. This upheaval ultimately forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli from office, leading to the appointment of Sushila Karki as the new interim prime minister. The core of the rebellion was the "Nepo-baby syndrome," a term for the children of the elite who flaunted unearned privilege. For Nepal's youth, these individuals symbolize all that was wrong with the country's political system. Inspired by similar youth-led movements in #Sri_Lanka and #Bangladesh, Nepal's Gen Z transformed their outrage over corruption into a full-scale revolution.

In his commentary, Mebratu Kelecha draws a direct parallel to Ethiopia's own "ticking time bomb"—a privileged class known as the "Baalagizee." These individuals, who are “connected to those in power,” have accumulated immense wealth through political ties. Their opulent lifestyles create a stark contrast with the millions of Ethiopians struggling with rising inflation, hunger, and a lack of opportunities. The author argues that this dynamic is a dangerous echo of the past, mirroring the "final years of the former #TPLF-led #EPRDF regime," where "the generals, officials, and their children behaved much the same as today’s #Baalagizee."

The article highlights that Ethiopia faces mounting risks as economic hardship, corruption, and youth discontent increasingly mirror crises abroad. History, Mebratu emphasizes, warns that “when leaders ignore popular suffering and scorn accountability, they invite their own overthrow.” He contends that Nepal’s sudden revolt illustrates how rapidly regimes can collapse and cautions that Ethiopian leaders must abandon the illusion that “it can’t happen here” before grievances erupt.

The author notes that Ethiopia's political powerhouse must decide "not whether change will come, but how." He underscores that leaders can either cling to power through denial and the protection of elites until "a popular uprising becomes inevitable," or they can proactively embrace reforms and plan for a peaceful transition before a full-blown crisis erupts.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52446

#European_Commission proposes freezing #Israel trade pact over #Gaza

The European Commission has announced a proposal to suspend free trade with Israel and sanction two Israeli ministers, in measures that would represent a major blow to Israel-EU relations.

"The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday after presenting the proposal to the EU Council.

"There needs to be an immediate ceasefire, unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas."

The move comes a day after Israeli forces launched a ground offensive on Gaza City and a major UN investigation found Israel guilty of genocide.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/eu-commission-proposes-freezing-trade-pact-israel-gaza

News: 12 ‘Tigray Peace Army’ members detained without trial in #Afar region; half held by fellow fighters: rights group

Human Rights First, a civil organization that advocates for human rights, reported that 12 members of an armed group calling itself "#Tigray Peace Army" have been detained for a month without trial, with six held by fellow armed group members in the Afar region

In a statement released on 16 September 2025, the group said the detentions followed divisions among former Tigrayan fighters who had broken away from the main forces and reorganized in Afar. According to the report, six detainees are being held in a police station in Semera, while the other six, including a member identified as Shewit Bitew, are detained in Dubti. None have been brought before a court of law as required.

The report noted that those held in Dubti are not in a police facility but under the custody of the same armed groups that identify themselves as the “Tigray Peace Army.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52458

News: Former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy cautioned #Ethiopia’s Gedion Timotheos over Red Sea tensions ahead of departure

The #UK Parliament has discussed recent tensions between Ethiopia and #Eritrea, with former Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is now deputy prime minister, reported to have had directly cautioned Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timotheos, against “miscalculation” while urging dialogue with Eritrea.

In a debate on 16 September 2025, Gerard Anthony Lemos, Government Whip, said U.K’s former Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke to Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion “in August, when he warned against the risk of miscalculation and encouraged dialogue with Eritrea. Similar points have been made to the Eritrean Government by our officials there.”

Read more:https://addisstandard.com/?p=52462

#Sudan: #UN relief chief welcomes progress towards three-month #truce

The UN relief chief Tom Fletcher has highlighted recent diplomatic progress made towards a three-month pause to the brutal fighting in Sudan between rival militaries.

“Welcome progress from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the US towards urgently needed 3-month humanitarian truce in Sudan,” Mr. Fletcher wrote on social media.

“We stand ready to deliver,” he added. “Safe, unhindered access is key.”

The joint statement made by the four countries comes amid Sudan’s spiralling crisis of violence, hunger and environmental disaster.

The joint statement, which Mr. Fletcher shared on X, called for a three-month truce “to enable the swift entry of humanitarian aid to all parts of Sudan, to lead immediately to a permanent ceasefire,” and to be followed by a nine-month transition process towards a civilian government.

The call for a pause to the fighting was one of the five principles laid out in the statement. The remaining principles included an end to external military support, the facilitation by all parties of humanitarian access, territorial integrity, and agreement that there is no military solution to the conflict.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165879

News: #Ethiopia submits bid to host World athletics championships in 2029 or 2031

Ethiopia has formally submitted a bid to World Athletics to host the World Athletics Championships in either 2029 or 2031.

Government representatives and officials from the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (#EAF) attended the Observer Program in Tokyo, where they held discussions and exchanged experiences with delegations from other countries interested in hosting the event.

Meku Mohammed, State Minister for Sport Development at the Ministry of Culture and Sport, said the government is giving special attention and resources to the athletics sector. He noted that Ethiopia has worked to build its capacity by addressing existing challenges in sports facilities and constructing new stadiums. “The government is committed to restoring athletics to its former glory and vitality,” Meku stated.

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid0247cPDLqHcbeeuYsx1m63RLBckambyjnPNs42MQCUF1YWeAgEzNHWBx6UdSztDPPUl

News: Nearly half of #Tigray’s children remain out of school as war’s impact persists

Nearly 1.2 million children, 46% of Tigray’s school-age population, are out of school this academic year, the regional Bureau of Education said, citing the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria peace deal and the war’s lasting social and economic toll.

According to the Bureau, 2.53 million students were expected to enroll across Tigray, but only 1.36 million have registered, leaving more than a million out of school.

In a statement shared with Addis Standard, the Tselemti Development Association revealed that schools in three districts of Tselemti, home to more than 250,000 people, have remained closed for six consecutive years since 2020 due to COVID-19 and the subsequent war. According to the association, prior to the conflict, more than 56,000 students were enrolled across 79 schools in the districts.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52472

#Sudan’s Burhan rejects #Quad ceasefire call, vows to keep fighting

Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Thursday rejected a ceasefire proposal from the Quad group of nations, dismissing it as an external agenda that does not concern his government.

Speaking in Doha, Burhan said the Quad’s communiqué “does not concern us and we are not a party to it.” He added that he had informed the United States of Khartoum’s “categorical refusal” of any externally imposed agenda or solutions unacceptable to the Sudanese people.

The Quad, which comprises the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, called for a timeline to end the conflict last week. The proposal included a three-month humanitarian truce, a ceasefire, and a nine-month transition to civilian rule.

https://sudantribune.com/article305175/

#Opinion: Tiger on Paper, Symbolic in Reality: Why renewal of U.S. executive order fails to sway #Ethiopia

The administration of #US President Donald Trump recently extended the national emergency on Ethiopia for another year. The order was originally issued by President Biden in 2021 during the war in #Tigray, with the stated purpose of imposing sanctions on specific individuals in response to the humanitarian and human rights crisis. While many have welcomed the extension as a victory for accountability, Mulat Gebreslassie, the author of this opinion piece, argues otherwise. "Rather than being a potent tool that influences the Ethiopian government," he writes, "the renewal of the executive order largely remains a symbolic act."

The author explains that Executive Order (EO) 14046 was intended to address “widespread violence, atrocities, and serious human rights abuse, including those involving ethnic-based violence, rape … and obstruction of humanitarian operations.” Although extended twice by the Biden administration and most recently by President Trump, Mulat contends that "the order has had little effect" on Ethiopia’s leadership because its primary targets have been Eritrean entities, such as the #Eritrean Defense Forces and the ruling party.

He emphasizes that, by design, the order is limited; it freezes assets and revokes visas for selected individuals but "does not sanction the Ethiopian government itself." This narrow scope, the author argues, renders it "ineffective." The lack of leverage, Mulat adds, is also evident in the "stalled Pretoria Peace Agreement," where key provisions—such as the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (#DDR) of Tigrayan forces; the complete withdrawal of non-ENDF troops, including Eritrean forces; and the return of internally displaced persons (#IDPs) to Western Tigray—"remain unfulfilled."

In conclusion, the author states that the executive order is a "paper tiger whose bark is heard much louder in #Asmara than in the corridors of power in Ethiopia." While it signals “ongoing U.S. concern,” he contends that Executive Order 14046 does little “to pressure the Ethiopian government or enforce lasting peace.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52469

News: #Ethiopia’s debt ‘unsustainable,’ World Bank–IMF warn as country remains in debt distress

Addis Abeba – A new joint #World Bank–#IMF assessment has delivered a stark warning on Ethiopia’s economic outlook, declaring the country’s external debt “unsustainable” and confirming that the government is already in debt distress.

The report, approved by senior officials from both institutions, said: “Ethiopia’s debt is assessed to be unsustainable, mainly due to protracted breaches of exports-related external debt indicators and is based on a weak Debt Carrying Capacity.” It added that the country has been in debt distress since it missed a Eurobond interest payment in December 2023.

The assessment highlights that Ethiopia’s repayment risks are aggravated by “bunching of debt service in the near to medium term” and by the sharp decline in external financing during and after the Tigray war.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52476

#Breaking: PM Abiy appoints #Eyob_Tekalign Governor of National Bank of #Ethiopia

Addis Abeba –Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has appointed Eyob Tekalign (PhD) as the new Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, effective today.

Eyob most recently served as State Minister at the Ministry of Finance and earlier headed the National Planning Commission. With more than 18 years of experience, he has held senior roles across public, private, supranational, multinational, and academic institutions, contributing to Ethiopia’s economic and social development.

He succeeds Mamo Mihretu, whose departure after seven years in economic leadership roles came as a surprise to many within Ethiopia’s financial and government circles. Mamo said he is leaving government service to pursue other professional opportunities.

A former World Bank staffer, Mamo first joined the Office of the Prime Minister as senior policy advisor and later served as Ethiopia’s chief trade negotiator at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

PM Abiy appoints #Enatalem_Melese Head of Government #Communication Service with ministerial portfolio

Prime Minister #Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has appointed Enatalem Melese as Head of the Government Communication Service with a ministerial portfolio. She replaces outgoing Minister of Communication Legesse Tulu(PhD), who held the position from October 2021 until September.

Enatalem previously served as Head of the Addis Abeba City Administration communication office.

Analysis: From #classrooms to #military camps: Years of conflict in #Oromia push millions of children out of school

Addis Standard spoke with community members in the Ada’a Berga district of West Shewa, the Nejo district of West Wollega, and the Kuyyu and Yaya Gulale districts of North Shewa, who said persistent violence has forced schools to shut down, leaving children without access to education.

Last August, the BBC reported that insecurity in North Shewa, Oromia, has left more than 67,000 students out of school. A resident of Dire Dala town told BBC that many families, losing hope, have kept their children at home or married them off, leaving students’ education severely disrupted.

Analysis by Addis Standard in 2024 revealed that Western Oromia, once a center of academic excellence producing numerous students who enhanced Ethiopia’s international reputation, has seen its legacy of intellectual achievement shattered by years of relentless conflict.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52484

#AS_Editorial: #Ethiopia’s education crisis – A broken system cannot be fixed with pass-fail verdicts

Ethiopia has just concluded another round of its national Grade 12 school-leaving examinations result announcements, and once again, the country is caught in the grip of numbers.

But the decline is not simply the result of stricter exam monitoring or an alleged crackdown on cheating. It reflects the erosion of Ethiopia’s education system under the combined weight of conflict, displacement, and a crumbling infrastructure.

But the national discourse remains fixated on exam pass rates. Berhanu Nega, the minister of education, frames small statistical improvements as triumphs.
Such statements deflect from a systemic collapse that neither ‘hard work’ nor crackdown on cheating can solve; a collapse about which neither he nor those above him choose to speak honestly.

This publication urges, once more, why Ethiopia should look beyond the tyranny of exams.

Read here: https://addisstandard.com/?p=52482

#Ethnically-driven killings in #Sudan's war have jumped this year, #UN says

Sudan has seen a significant rise in civilian killings during the first half of this year due to growing ethnic violence, largely in the western region of Darfur, the U.N. human rights office said on Friday.

The conflict that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has unleashed waves of ethnically-driven killings, caused mass displacement and created what the U.N. has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

At least 990 civilians were killed in summary executions in the first half of the year, the report found, with the number between February and April tripling.

That was driven mainly by a surge in Khartoum after the army and allied fighters in late March recaptured the city previously controlled by the RSF, the OHCHR said.

"One witness who observed SAF search operations in civilian neighbourhoods in East Nile, Khartoum between March and April, said that he saw children as young as 14 or 15 years of age, accused of being RSF members, summarily killed," OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said.

"Every day we are receiving more reports of horrors on the ground," OHCHR Sudan representative Li Fung told reporters in Geneva.

Fung said ethnicity was a motivating factor for violence, which she described as very concerning.

She explained that certain ethnic communities were being targeted because they are associated with the leadership of the SAF and RSF, building upon decades of discrimination and division between different groups and identities in the diverse nation.


https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/significant-rise-civilian-killings-sudan-conflict-this-year-says-un-human-rights-2025-09-19/

News: #Sheger FM says journalists remain in custody for 17 days despite court-ordered bail

Addis Abeba – Two journalists from Sheger FM Radio, editor Tigist Zerihun and reporter Mintamr Tsegaw, have remained in Federal Police custody for 17 days despite a court order granting their release on bail, the station said.

Following the arrests, police requested a 14-day extension to pursue investigations. The court granted nine days. At the subsequent hearing, police sought further time for forensic analysis, financial transaction reviews, and other inquiries. After hearing arguments from both sides, the Lideta Division of the Federal High Court’s First Bench for extended detention hearings ordered the release of the journalists on bail set at 50,000 birr.

Court documents show that all required procedures were finalized and submitted to the Federal Police Crime Investigation Department on 17 September 2025.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52497

#Somali, #Chinese defense ministers hold first high-level talks in Decades

Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun met with Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallin Fiqi in Beijing on Friday on the sidelines of the Xiangshan International Defense Forum, marking the first ministerial-level meeting between the two countries in nearly 40 years.

Minister Fiqi highlighted Somalia’s security gains, noting that government forces have liberated large areas from al-Shabaab and taken steps to stabilize key regions. Admiral Dong praised Somalia’s progress, calling it “a step of hope and stability” toward rebuilding national defense institutions.

The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in regional security, counterterrorism, support for the AU mission in Somalia and the development of the Somali National Army. Both ministers emphasized the importance of strengthening ties to promote peace and stability in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.

The Xiangshan Forum, held at the Beijing International Convention Center under the theme “Upholding International Order and Promoting Peaceful Development,” has drawn representatives from more than 100 countries and international organizations, solidifying its status as a major platform for global security dialogue.

https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2025/Sept/202991/somali_chinese_defense_ministers_hold_first_high_level_talks_in_decades.aspx

#Ethiopia: Authorities freeze bank accounts of 123 suspects over ‘illicit foreign currency’ activities

Addis Abeba – The Financial Intelligence Service (#FIS) has announced the freezing of bank accounts belonging to 123 individuals suspected of engaging in illicit foreign currency activities.

In a statement issued yesterday 19 September 2025, FIS said the measure is part of an intensified crackdown on parallel foreign exchange markets that bypass the formal banking system. The service added that monitoring has been expanded to identify additional suspects.

According to the statement, the financial transactions of the 123 individuals were suspended “to ensure accountability” for their alleged involvement in black market dealings. FIS noted that Ethiopia’s recent macroeconomic reforms have contributed to a significant increase in legal foreign exchange services, describing the development as “highly commendable.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52499

#Ethiopia: Five political parties form coalition ahead of national elections

Five political parties have announced the formation of a coalition framework aimed at enabling joint political activity. The parties include the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (#EPRP), #Enat Party, Ethiopian National Unity Party, #Amhara Ghionians Movement, and One Ethiopia Democracy Party.

Megabe Beluy Abraham Teklehaimanot, chair of the EPRP, told Addis Standard that the coalition emerged after four years of discussions among the parties and agreement on common issues. He said the framework will prioritize “core national matters” and added: “By recognizing the challenging conditions, this coalition will present itself as a strong and competitive force in the upcoming national elections.”

He further explained that during the elections, the coalition will seek to create a genuine political space by involving the public and engaging international stakeholders.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52504