#Ethiopia: Addis Abeba among Africa’s 10 most expensive cities for renters as 2025 closes

#Addis_Abeba has been ranked among the ten African cities with the highest rent prices as 2025 comes to a close, according to a new analysis by businessinsider.com, which draws on data from Numbeo, an online global database.

The assessment places Addis Abeba at a Rent Index of 22 and 202nd globally, making it one of the continent’s costliest cities for tenants. By comparison, #Cape_Town registered an index of 21 (global rank 218), while #Kigali stood at 16 (global rank 264).

Business Insider reports that soaring rental prices have become a defining challenge for urban residents across Africa this year. High housing costs are increasingly forcing individuals and families to relocate to distant suburbs, driving up transport expenses, lengthening commute times, & contributing to productivity...
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Coming up today: The Standard Signal | Ep. 5: The Amhara Region Crisis - State Unraveling, Human Cost, and Manufactured Peace

This episode of The Standard Signal brings Hone Mandefro, scholar and human rights advocate, for a searing look at the Amhara regional state - from the origins of the war and its resulting mass atrocities and forced displacement to the collapse of institutional accountability.

How did Ethiopia’s political core become engulfed in war so quickly, and with such devastating human cost?

How do we understand both the structural political failure and the human catastrophe it continues to produce? Is there a way to prevent a protracted insurgency without an end, or, however unlikely, a genuine political reset? What does the announcement of the recent “peace agreement” mean? And what does real accountability look like?

Subscribe here to watch the full episode: https://youtube.com/@AddisStandard
Premiers at: 7:30 PM EAT

New report says #Ethiopia’s democratic gains replaced by “Illusion of Progress,” accuses government of systematic crackdown

Two major international human rights organizations have accused the Ethiopian government of replacing early political reforms with a coordinated campaign to suppress civic space and silence human rights defenders, warning that the country’s democratic opening has devolved into what they describe as an “illusion of progress.”

The report, “The Illusion of Progress: Ethiopia’s Human Rights Defenders Under Attack”, was released in December 2025 by The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (#FIDH) & the World Organisation Against Torture (#OMCT).

According to the findings, Ethiopia initially experienced meaningful reforms after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in April 2018, including the release of political prisoners, the closure of the notorious...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54010

#US Lawmaker tables resolution condemning rights violations in #Ethiopia, calls for global Magnitsky sanctions

A United States lawmaker has introduced a new congressional resolution condemning what it describes as widespread human rights violations by the Ethiopian government, with a particular focus on abuses against Christians and other religious communities.

The measure, introduced by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), urges the U.S. Secretary of State to deploy all available diplomatic tools—including targeted sanctions—to protect civilians and hold Ethiopian officials accountable.

The resolution sharply criticizes the Ethiopian government for actions it says “threaten regional stability, violate fundamental human rights, and undermine the strategic interests of the United States in the Horn of Africa.”

It cites allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, as well as what it describes as violence, ...

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#Premiering_now: The Standard Signal | Ep. 5: The #Amhara Region Crisis - State Unraveling, Human Cost, and Manufactured Peace

Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/6rb8ggfdiYU?si=VTMLz1mExsOVyT9e

In this episode of The Standard Signal, host Tsedale Lemma speaks with scholar and human rights advocate Hone Mandefro about Ethiopia’s spiraling crisis in the Amhara regional state - from the origins of the war and its resulting mass atrocities and forced displacement to the collapse of institutional accountability.

Drawing on his expertise and his work documenting violations against Amharas at the Amhara Association of America (AAA), Hone offers rare clarity on what is driving the ongoing war, why policy failures continue to compound human suffering, and what pathways remain for justice, stability, and inclusive governance.

#Ethiopia #HumanRights #AmharaRegionCrisis #EthiopianPolitics #TransitionalJustice #Accountability #HornOfAfrica #AddisStandard

#TsedaleLemma in conversation with #HoneMandefro #StandardSignal

South Sudan army deploys to secure Heglig oilfield after deal with #Sudan, #RSF

#South_Sudan’s army began deploying to secure the Heglig oilfield on Wednesday following a three-way deal between Juba and Sudan’s warring factions to protect vital energy infrastructure.

The deployment follows the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) seizure of the strategic town on Dec. 8, which forced the Sudanese army to abandon its defensive positions and withdraw across the border into South Sudan, where troops were disarmed.

South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) Chief of Staff Paul Nang told reporters in Heglig that the troops entered the area under a “tripartite agreement” involving President Salva Kiir, Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Nang stated the deal requires the withdrawal of the Sudanese ...

https://sudantribune.com/article/308012?__cf_chl_rt_tk=7zziVGt1bVTdpv6sCrTOdBDIvph2BdJC8p3XN9ELp.s-1765431769-1.0.1.1-DiWaS588qdGN2kMlaqxASGa_jroa1Um64fn1Eg6tldE

#Ethiopia, AfDB Sign USD 184 Million grant for phase II of Ethiopia–Djibouti–South Sudan transport corridor project

Ethiopia and the African Development Bank (#AfDB) have signed a USD 184 million grant agreement to support Phase II of the #Ethiopia–#Djibouti–#South_Sudan Transport Corridor Project.

The financing will cover the construction of a 67-kilometer expressway from #Melka_Jilo to #Awash, a critical missing link along the Addis Ababa–Djibouti corridor.

The route carries more than 90% of Ethiopia’s maritime trade and is considered vital for national logistics, regional connectivity, and broader economic integration across the Horn of Africa.

During the signing ceremony, Finance Minister Ahmed Shide said the project aligns with the Horn of Africa Initiative and underscores Ethiopia’s commitment to regional stability, cooperation and deeper integration.

In addition to road construction, the project includes trade-facilitation measures...

https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1999025915221647790?s=20

#Ethiopia: Gambella city imposes curfew after gunfire attacks kill four, injure eight

The #Gambella City Administration has imposed a night-time curfew restricting all vehicle and pedestrian movement after 7:00 p.m., amid rising tensions following a series of deadly shootings.

The measure, announced on 9 December 2025, came on the same day four people — including two police officers — were shot dead and eight others injured, according to a source close to the matter.

A regional official who spoke to Addis Standard on condition of anonymity said the violence began on 9 December at around 11:45 a.m. near the Grand Resort Hotel in Gambella City, where an unidentified gunman allegedly shot two civilians, killing one and injuring the other. The deceased victim was Nuer, the official said.

According to the official, a second incident occurred roughly 30 minutes later, when a three-wheeled motor vehicle traveling from Gambella City toward Abol Woreda in the Anyuak Zone was...

https://addisstandard.com/?p=54023

#IMF, #Ethiopia reach staff-level deal on ECF reviews, opening access to US$261 Million

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded a staff-level agreement with the Ethiopian government on the fourth review of the country’s four-year Extended Credit Facility (#ECF) program, a step that could unlock approximately US$261 million once the deal receives final approval from IMF management and the Executive Board.

The IMF announced the development in a statement issued on 10 December 2025, following discussions in Addis Abeba between 30 October and 13 November, supplemented by additional virtual and in-person meetings from 3–5 December.

The ECF arrangement, approved on 29 July 2024 with an initial allocation of SDR 2.556 billion (about US$3.4 billion at the time), has so far disbursed the equivalent of US$2.134 billion (SDR 1,598.1 million), according to the Fund.

IMF mission chief..

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Standard Bank backs Safaricom #Ethiopia unit with $138m funding facility

#Standard_Bank has provided $138 million (R3.1 billion) in funding to #Safaricom Telecommunications as part of the Kenyan group’s ongoing investment in its Ethiopian unit.

The lender said it acted as sole arranger, lender and facility agent on the term facility for Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC (#STEP), while also playing an advisory role on the transaction.

Standard Bank, Africa’s biggest bank by assets, has worked with Safaricom since it acquired a licence to operate in Ethiopia in 2021, advising and financing the telecoms group as it built its network and launched services in the country.

Anthony Ndegwa, executive vice president for Telecoms, Media & Technology at Stanbic Kenya’s Corporate and Investment Banking business, notes that the lender and Safaricom worked closely in structuring financial...

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#Commentary: Graduates Factory or Ideas Foundry: #Ethiopia’s higher education trajectory from early reformist to today’s struggling campuses

Recent protests by students in public universities over mandatory national service reflect a deeper crisis: institutions once viewed as engines of renewal now “mirror the nation’s fractures, insecurities, and stalled ambitions,” argues Tesfatsion Dominiko. He contends that this is not merely an administrative challenge but a “crisis of purpose, vision, and imagination.”

The author notes that recent reforms—such as institutional differentiation and the granting of autonomy to Addis Ababa University—have produced “turbulence rather than coherence,” often functioning more as a “fiscal strategy rather than an academic philosophy.”

He underscores that the nation’s future hinges on whether its universities will remain “factories of credentials” or whether they will become "foundries of ideas."

https://addisstandard.com/?p=54019

#Oromia prosecutor with visual impairment allegedly abducted by armed group

The Oromia Public Prosecutors Association reported that a visually impaired prosecutor, Shibiru Guta Megersa, was allegedly abducted by an armed group on 8 December 2025 while traveling from Tulu Bolo town toward Ginchi in the #West_Shewa Zone of Oromia Region.

In a statement issued on 10 December, the Association said Shibiru, who joined the Justice Office in October 2023, was returning by car to Dendi Woreda after visiting his mother in Becho Woreda when the incident reportedly occurred. The Association described him as a disciplined employee who “diligently served the public.”

The statement emphasized that Shibiru is visually impaired and called the alleged abduction “unacceptable legally and morally,” noting that both national & international laws require special protection for persons with disabilities...

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#Ethiopian Media Authority lifts ban on seven #Deutsche_Welle journalists, two remain permanently suspended

The Ethiopian Media Authority (#EMA) has lifted the ban on seven of Deutsche Welle’s nine reporters operating in Ethiopia, the international broadcaster announced, while two journalists remain permanently suspended.

Deutsche Welle said it received notice from the EMA confirming the permanent suspension of its two employees and “strongly condemned the action.”

The station also indicated that it has repeatedly requested the EMA to provide evidence supporting its claims that certain reports contained errors or violated Ethiopian law.

The temporary ban, which prevented the journalists from reporting across Ethiopia, was initially imposed on 23 October 2025. At the time, Deutsche Welle stated on its official Facebook page that the EMA had accused the station and its journalists of...

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#Ethiopia: CPJ urges release of TikTok journalist Eyob Shimelis detained for corruption reporting

The Committee to Protect Journalists (#CPJ) has called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release TikTok journalist Eyob Shimelis, who has been detained since 1 December on allegations of spreading false information and defamation.

Eyob, founder of the TikTok-based outlet #Sidama News, which reports on corruption in the Sidama Region, was arrested outside his home in #Hawassa and taken to Addis Ketema Sub-City Police Station in Addis Abeba, according to two individuals familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity. They said police questioned him about recent reports alleging abuses by regional officials.

“It is alarming that a journalist exposing alleged corruption is being met with arrests and intimidation,” CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo said. ....

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#African Rights Commission opens proceedings on RSADO petition accusing #Eritrea of abuses against #Afar community

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (#ACHPR) has formally seized & registered a human rights complaint filed by the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (#RSADO) against the State of Eritrea, the group said in a statement.

RSADO said the Commission confirmed its decision through official correspondence, designating the case Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization v. The State of Eritrea.

The complaint, submitted on 4 June 2025, alleges widespread and systematic violations against the Indigenous Red Sea Afar people in Eritrea’s #Dankalia region.

According to RSADO, the Afar community has long faced “state-engineered” abuses, including displacement, persecution, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the confiscation of ancestral lands along the...

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