News: #IGAD, #Arab_League, #GCC reject Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of #Somaliland

Regional and international bodies, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the #Chinese government, have rejected Israel’s reported recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, reaffirming their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, & territorial integrity.

In a statement issued by its Secretariat, IGAD said it had taken note of recent developments in the Horn of Africa, including announcements regarding #Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.

The regional bloc reaffirmed that the Federal Republic of Somalia remains a sovereign IGAD member state whose unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are fully recognized under international law.

China also reaffirmed its position in support of Somalia. In a statement posted on its official X account, the Chinese ...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54351

News: #Tigray statistics agency says #Fayda national ID registration in Western, Southern zones violates regional sovereignty

The Tigray Statistics and Vital Events Registration Agency has raised concerns over the issuance of the National Digital Identity Card, known as Fayda, in parts of #Western and #Southern Tigray, warning that current registration practices undermine the region’s constitutionally defined boundaries and sovereignty.

In an official letter addressed to the National ID Program on Friday, the Agency said Fayda registration activities conducted since last year in areas including #Humera, #Raya, #Tsegede, and #Welkait have failed to respect Tigray’s legally recognized territorial jurisdiction.

“The areas in question are constitutionally recognized as part of the Tigray Region,” the Agency said, adding that the manner in which registration is being carried out does not reflect this status and risks contributing to demographic changes.

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54354

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Update: #EU joins #AU, others in reaffirming support for #Somalia’s unity, calls for dialogue with #Somaliland

The European Union (EU) has become the latest international actor to reaffirm its support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, aligning itself with similar positions recently reiterated by the African Union.

Earlier, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia had also issued similar statements affirming Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, reflecting a growing convergence among regional and international actors around support for Mogadishu’s position.

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16s2wHN9rR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

#UAE vows to provide $8m aid to help #East_African refugees

The UAE International Aid Agency has signed a cooperation agreement with the #Norwegian Refugee Council to provide assistance to refugees in East Africa, with the aim of expanding the scope of humanitarian aid delivered to populations in countries affected by conflicts, and supporting host communities for refugees in Ethiopia, Uganda, and other countries in the region.

In the presence of Fatema Khamis Salem Khalfan Al Mazrouei, UAE Ambassador to Norway, the agreement was signed by Rashid Salem Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Logistics Support at the UAE Aid Agency, and Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Under the agreement, the UAE will provide a grant of $8 million to support humanitarian assistance for refugees in host countries across East Africa.

Dr Al Ameri affirmed "the UAE’s commitment to supporting refugees ..

https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2025/12/28/uae-vows-to-provide-8m-aid-to-help-east-african-refugees

#Sudan's gold production reaches 70 tons in 2025

Sudan's Ministry of Minerals said on Sunday the country's gold production for 2025 reached 70 tons, 13 percent higher than the target.

The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company, an affiliate of the ministry, said in a statement the mining sector brought about 1.087 trillion Sudanese pounds (about 1.8 billion U.S. dollars) in public revenues this year.

Minister of Minerals Nour Al-Daem Taha called for doubled efforts in 2026 and directed that new national projects be included in the mining sector's development plan.

Sudan relies primarily on gold exports to obtain foreign currency. Its gold production had peaked between 2017 and 2022. In 2022, gold was the country's top non-oil export, accounting for 46.3 percent of total non-oil exports, with a value of 2.02 billion dollars out of total exports of 4.357 billion dollars, according to statistics from the Central Bank of Sudan...

https://english.news.cn/africa/20251229/4aabbeb7bd1d4668a98019af8d682fc6/c.html

News: #Eritrea invokes #China–#Taiwan analogy as 21 Arab, Islamic, and #African states reject Israel’s #Somaliland recognition

Eritrea has issued a forceful diplomatic response to #Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, invoking what it described as an analogy with the China–Taiwan question and calling for urgent action at the #United_Nations Security Council.

In a separate press release, Eritrean authorities said the move was “neither sudden nor accidental” and warned that it has been “brewing for some time now to stoke dangerous regional and global crises and mayhem.”

Eritrea argued that the issue “warrants unequivocal response at the level of the UN Security Council and its members,” and appealed to China to “shoulder its moral responsibilities,” citing parallels with the Taiwan issue.

Israel announced on 26 December that it would officially recognize Somaliland, a region in northern Somalia that declared independence in ...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54364

News: After reports of #Egypt’s deal on #Djibouti and #Eritrea ports, Egypt and Djibouti sign agreements on ports, solar energy, and logistics

Egypt and Djibouti signed three cooperation agreements covering renewable energy, port development, and logistics.

The agreement was signed during an official visit by Kamel El-Wazir, Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, to Djibouti on 27 December, 2025, according to the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority (DPFZA).

The agreements were signed at the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) in the presence of Hassan Houmed, Djibouti’s Minister of Equipment and Transport; Djibouti’s Ambassador to Egypt, Ahmed Ali Barreh; and Egypt’s Ambassador to Djibouti, Abdelrahman Raafat Khattab.

Ahead of the signing ceremony, the ministerial delegation conducted site visits to the #Doraleh Container Terminal (SGTD), the location of a planned solar park in Doraleh...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54368

#Commentary: From Addis to #Berbera: #India’s strategic pivot in Horn of Africa

In mid-December 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook his first official visit to #Ethiopia, marking a decisive step toward elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. In this commentary, Gulaid Yusuf Idaan situates the visit within India’s broader foreign-policy shift toward maritime connectivity and more systemic global engagement.

He argues that the Horn of #Africa—once viewed primarily through a humanitarian lens—has emerged as the “western anchor of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy,” with Ethiopia serving as its continental linchpin. However, Ethiopia’s landlocked status renders access to seaports a central strategic concern, thereby elevating Somaliland’s Berbera Port as a critical alternative to China-dominated Djibouti.

The author further underscores that “a phased, strategic recognition of #Somaliland could strengthen India–Ethiopia ties.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=54357

News: #Ethio_Telecom announces tariff increase across selected service packages

Addis Abeba — State-owned telecommunications provider Ethio Telecom has announced price increases on several of its service packages, citing rising operational costs and broader macroeconomic pressures.

In a statement issued today, the company said the decision to introduce what it described as “modest tariff adjustments” was driven by escalating capital and operational expenditures amid a challenging economic environment.

Ethio Telecom noted that the revised pricing is aimed at “safeguarding the continuity” of its services while supporting the ongoing expansion of telecommunications and digital infrastructure nationwide.

The company said it has incorporated measures to “cushion customers” from the impact of the price increase. These include “enhanced incentives” for Telebirr users, with discounts on ....

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02EUsPrsDrzcteM9Khp6sZtAmdqi3GDfQaRGCwFfiGqffKb8S7uRCNNQBFiRfYNhAjl

News: #Ethiopia, #China hold first coffee trade conference, launch Ethiopian Coffee Trading Center

Ethiopia held its first-ever bilateral #coffee trade conference with China, its fourth-largest coffee importer, alongside the inauguration of the Ethiopia Coffee (China) Trading Center.

The new center aims to leverage Ethiopia’s status as a premium coffee origin and boost the entry of Ethiopian coffee into the Chinese market.

The conference took place on 27 December 2025 in #Zhuzhou City, #Hunan Province, attracting about 300 participants, including government officials, industry experts, & business representatives from both countries, according to Xinhua.

Ethiopian state media reported that the event provided a platform to showcase Ethiopia’s unique coffee flavors to more than 700,000 attendees.

Ethiopia’s Ambassador to China, Tefera Derbew Yimam, highlighted China’s growing coffee consumption as a key opportunity for Ethiopian exporters. “Ethiopia seeks...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54372

News: Report indicates #Sudanese army prepares for #RSF attack near #Ethiopian border as Burhan warns neighbours against interference

The Sudanese military is preparing to repel what it says is a planned attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups on the towns of #Kurmuk and #Geissan in Sudan’s #Blue_Nile region, allegedly launched from Ethiopian territory, according to Sudan Tribune, which cited a senior government official.

Amid the reported security preparations, Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman & Army Commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, warned neighbouring countries against interference in Sudan’s internal conflict, asserting #Khartoum’s right to defend its borders.

Speaking to members of the Sudanese community at the Sudanese embassy in #Ankara on Saturday, Burhan called on neighbouring states to “reconsider their positions” regarding the ongoing war, the report added.

The senior official told Sudan Tribune that the army has been on...

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54378

#Taiwan welcomes #Israel's decision to formally recognize #Somaliland

Taiwan has welcomed Israel's decision on Friday to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign nation, going against the reaction of Europe, the United States and other countries, which have opted to support Somalian sovereignty.

In a statement Sunday that welcomed Israel's move, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Taiwan, Israel, and Somaliland, are all "like-minded democratic partners sharing the values of democracy, freedom, and rule of law."

It also expected the decision to facilitate closer three-way cooperation on all fronts between Taiwan, Israel and Somaliland.

On Aug. 17, 2020, Taipei opened a representative office in Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa, and Somaliland reciprocated by opening a similar office in Taipei on Sept. 9 the same year.

Most recently, the two sides signed an agreement in July to enhance bilateral coast guard cooperation to jointly safeguard navigation safety in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, MOFA said in its statement.

https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202512280007

Today’s top stories from Addis Standard:

https://youtu.be/U_jqZ2QXgaU?si=0xmmhLgD_57aYjyi

News: #TPLF denies commissioner’s allegation of exploiting the region’s #IDP crisis, says ‘silent genocide’ continues in Tigray

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has strongly rejected accusations from #Ethiopia’s Commissioner for Disaster Risk Management, Shiferaw Teklemariam, that it is using civilians in Tigray as political tools and punishing them through hunger, insisting instead that a “silent genocide” has persisted in the region even after the Pretoria peace agreement.

Speaking to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam (PhD) accused the TPLF of exploiting basic needs and humanitarian crises for political purposes, describing it as part of the group’s historical practice.

In response to Addis Standard, the TPLF’s Secretary Office dismissed the allegations as a “white lie,” emphasizing that the welfare of civilians has remained central to its agenda both before and after the #Pretoria Agreement.

“We have been ....

Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54383

#UN visit to #Sudan’s El-Fasher finds traumatized civilians in ‘unsafe conditions’

Traumatized civilians left in Sudan’s El-Fasher after its capture by paramilitary forces are living without water or sanitation in a city haunted by famine, UN aid coordinator Denise Brown told AFP on Monday.

El-Fasher fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October after more than 500 days of siege, and last Friday a small UN humanitarian team was able to make its first short visit in almost two years.

The capture of the city was reportedly accompanied by mass atrocities, including massacres, torture and sexual violence. Satellite pictures reviewed by AFP show what appear to be mass graves.

Brown described the city as a “crime scene,” but said investigations would be carried out by human rights experts while her office focuses on restoring aid to the survivors.

“We weren’t able to see any of the detainees, and we believe there are detainees,” she said.

From a humanitarian point of view, she said, El-Fasher remains Sudan’s “epicenter of human suffering” and the city – which once held more than a million people – is still facing a famine.

“El-Fasher is a ghost of its former self,” Brown said in an interview.

“We don’t have enough information yet to conclude how many people remain there, but we know large parts of the city are destroyed. The people who remain, their homes have been destroyed.”

“These people are living in very precarious situations,” warned Brown, a Canadian diplomat and the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Sudan.

“Some of them in abandoned buildings. Some of them… in very rudimentary conditions, plastic sheeting, no sanitation, no water. So these are very undignified, unsafe conditions for people.”

https://theglobepost.com/2025/12/29/un-sudans-fasher-traumatized-civilians/

Tragedy in #Adwa: Five children die from carbon monoxide during religious festival

Five children died in Adwa town, northern #Ethiopia, after being exposed overnight to carbon monoxide from a charcoal fire during celebrations of the annual St. Gabriel feast on 28 December.

The incident occurred in the Alula area, near St. Gabriel Church, where a woman identified as Mrs. Hamelmal had been preparing food for the religious occasion. She had brought her three children with her, while two other children from her husband’s family were also staying in the house. All five children slept together in one room while the adults worked late into the night.

According to information obtained by Addis Standard from local residents, the charcoal fire used for cooking was not extinguished before the children went to sleep. Overnight, carbon monoxide fumes accumulated in the enclosed space, leading to ...

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid028mJrY38J9FicKwKg527rEf2fSBWmW319f8wX2kKx5Z8wZHCCjt1KEokEWhG9444ml

#Saudi_Arabia bombs #Yemen over shipment of weapons for separatists that arrived from #UAE

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of #Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. The UAE did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It also further strains ties between #Riyadh & #Abu_Dhabi, which had been backing competing sides in Yemen’s decadelong war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels amid a moment of unease across the wider Red Sea region.

A military statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the strikes, which it said came after...

https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-bomb-yemen-mukalla-weapons-uae-9fc56e4678a12f56d61b1ecf855d4a4e?taid=69533808469db40001f5f854&utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter

News: #Ethiopia, #Sudan, #South_Sudan among 17 countries set to receive U.S. aid through UN in 2026

Ethiopia is among 17 crisis-affected countries set to benefit from a $2 billion humanitarian funding agreement signed between the #United_Nations and the #United_States, under which U.S. support will be channeled through UN relief programmes in 2026, the UN said in a statement.

The agreement, formalized on Monday in Geneva, commits the United States to fund global humanitarian operations amid what the UN describes as escalating needs worldwide. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher hailed the deal as a landmark commitment that would help save millions of lives, including in Ethiopia, where humanitarian needs remain acute due to conflict-related displacement, food insecurity, and climate shocks.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Fletcher praised humanitarian workers ...

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News: All #UN Security Council members except U.S. condemn #Israel’s recognition of #Somaliland

Fourteen of the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council condemned Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland during an emergency meeting in New York on Monday, with the #United_States the sole member not to oppose the move, Al Jazeera reported.

Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abu Bakr Dahir Osman, described the recognition as an “act of aggression” and warned it could fragment Somalia and destabilize the wider Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.

He also expressed concerns that the recognition might be linked to plans to forcibly relocate #Palestinians from #Gaza to Somaliland, which he said compounded the seriousness of Israel’s action.

While the United States did not condemn Israel, it defended Israel’s right to establish diplomatic relations. Deputy U.S. ....

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#Ethiopians account for 70pc of illegal immigrant arrests in #Kenya

Ethiopians accounted for more than 70 percent of all illegal and undocumented immigrants arrested in Kenya in the year to August 2025, underscoring the scale of cross-border migration driven largely by conflict and instability inside Ethiopia, according to a report cited by The East African newspaper.

The Annual Report on the State of National Security, which was tabled in Kenya’s Parliament by President William Ruto and covers the period from September 2024 to August 2025, shows that Ethiopian nationals accounted for 670 of the 953 arrests recorded during the year, representing 70.3 percent of the total.

Ethiopians were followed by #Somalis, #Burundians, and #Eritreans.

Citing the findings, The East African reports that Kenyan authorities attribute the disproportionately high number of Ethiopian nationals to ...

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02FRNCkU7bvvnZHUE5UKGt8tYxHp328WaRBaPG3QXuY8xWSEwUfS33Pddeey7bLcbil