News: Human Rights Watch flags deepening conflict, shrinking civic space in #Ethiopia in 2025
Civilians across much of Ethiopia faced overlapping humanitarian, security, and human rights crises in 2025, as armed conflicts persisted in several regions and the government intensified restrictions on independent media and civil society ahead of the 2026 elections, Human Rights Watch (#HRW) said in its annual country review released on Wednesday, 4 February 2026.
In its World Report 2026: Ethiopia Events of 2025, the international rights organization documents continued hostilities in #Amhara and parts of #Oromia, renewed instability linked to internal tensions in #Tigray, and fragile relations between the federal government and Eritrea, alongside a broader crackdown on dissent, stalled justice efforts, and worsening economic and social pressures.
According to HRW, fighting between federal forces and the Fano militia continued throughout 2025 in Amhara, with....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55002
Civilians across much of Ethiopia faced overlapping humanitarian, security, and human rights crises in 2025, as armed conflicts persisted in several regions and the government intensified restrictions on independent media and civil society ahead of the 2026 elections, Human Rights Watch (#HRW) said in its annual country review released on Wednesday, 4 February 2026.
In its World Report 2026: Ethiopia Events of 2025, the international rights organization documents continued hostilities in #Amhara and parts of #Oromia, renewed instability linked to internal tensions in #Tigray, and fragile relations between the federal government and Eritrea, alongside a broader crackdown on dissent, stalled justice efforts, and worsening economic and social pressures.
According to HRW, fighting between federal forces and the Fano militia continued throughout 2025 in Amhara, with....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55002
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#Somali president orders urgent drought response as famine fears grow
Somali President #Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday ordered all government institutions to prioritise emergency drought response after visiting the National Disaster Management Agency’s emergency operations centre.
The president received a detailed briefing from agency officials on the worsening drought, including the hardest-hit areas, displacement, environmental degradation and reported loss of life. Officials warned the crisis had reached a critical stage and risked tipping into famine if urgent action is not taken.
Mohamud called on government officials, Somali business leaders, humanitarian organisations and international partners to unite in responding to the growing humanitarian emergency and to prevent further human suffering.
He also instructed the country’s financial authorities to exempt from taxes all aid, donations and....
https://shabellemedia.com/somali-president-orders-urgent-drought-response-as-famine-fears-grow/
Somali President #Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday ordered all government institutions to prioritise emergency drought response after visiting the National Disaster Management Agency’s emergency operations centre.
The president received a detailed briefing from agency officials on the worsening drought, including the hardest-hit areas, displacement, environmental degradation and reported loss of life. Officials warned the crisis had reached a critical stage and risked tipping into famine if urgent action is not taken.
Mohamud called on government officials, Somali business leaders, humanitarian organisations and international partners to unite in responding to the growing humanitarian emergency and to prevent further human suffering.
He also instructed the country’s financial authorities to exempt from taxes all aid, donations and....
https://shabellemedia.com/somali-president-orders-urgent-drought-response-as-famine-fears-grow/
News: #Ethio telecom, #Djibouti Telecom, and #Sudatel sign agreement to build cross-border fiber corridor
Ethio telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudan’s Sudatel Group have signed a tripartite strategic agreement to deploy a high-capacity, cross-border optical fiber network linking Djibouti, Ethiopia, and #Sudan, the companies said.
The agreement, signed yesterday under the #Horizon Fiber Initiative, aims to establish a resilient terrestrial fiber corridor connecting international submarine cable landing stations in Djibouti, passing through Ethiopia, and extending to Sudan’s landing points.
The project is intended to provide a diversified and secure regional connectivity route linking #East_Africa to global digital networks.
Ethio telecom said the initiative aligns with its Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy, which seeks to position the company beyond a national operator toward a regional digital connectivity and infrastructure provider.
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55008
Ethio telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudan’s Sudatel Group have signed a tripartite strategic agreement to deploy a high-capacity, cross-border optical fiber network linking Djibouti, Ethiopia, and #Sudan, the companies said.
The agreement, signed yesterday under the #Horizon Fiber Initiative, aims to establish a resilient terrestrial fiber corridor connecting international submarine cable landing stations in Djibouti, passing through Ethiopia, and extending to Sudan’s landing points.
The project is intended to provide a diversified and secure regional connectivity route linking #East_Africa to global digital networks.
Ethio telecom said the initiative aligns with its Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy, which seeks to position the company beyond a national operator toward a regional digital connectivity and infrastructure provider.
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55008
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#Turkey, #Egypt cement strategic partnership with defense pact, trade drive
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Cairo on Wednesday and his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi marked a decisive acceleration in relations that have shifted from nearly a decade of estrangement to what both sides now describe as a strategic partnership.
The two leaders oversaw the signing of a wide-ranging set of cooperation agreements spanning defense, trade, health, agriculture and youth affairs, underscoring the depth of a rapprochement that is increasingly reshaping regional alignments in the eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
Central to the new phase was the signing of a framework military agreement, a step seen by analysts as laying the groundwork for closer security coordination and a tactical alignment capable of influencing balances of power across the Mediterranean basin. https://middle-east-online.com/en/turkey-egypt-cement-strategic-partnership-defence-pact-trade-drive
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Cairo on Wednesday and his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi marked a decisive acceleration in relations that have shifted from nearly a decade of estrangement to what both sides now describe as a strategic partnership.
The two leaders oversaw the signing of a wide-ranging set of cooperation agreements spanning defense, trade, health, agriculture and youth affairs, underscoring the depth of a rapprochement that is increasingly reshaping regional alignments in the eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
Central to the new phase was the signing of a framework military agreement, a step seen by analysts as laying the groundwork for closer security coordination and a tactical alignment capable of influencing balances of power across the Mediterranean basin. https://middle-east-online.com/en/turkey-egypt-cement-strategic-partnership-defence-pact-trade-drive
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News: #AFRICOM signals deeper #US security, economic engagement in #East_Africa
The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said Washington is seeking to more closely align security cooperation with economic investment across #Africa, citing recent engagements in #Ethiopia, #Kenya, and #Djibouti as part of a broader strategy to address growing security threats while fostering stability and development.
Speaking during a digital press briefing yesterday, General Anderson said he recently concluded a joint visit to East Africa with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, where discussions focused on counterterrorism, regional security, and the link between stability and economic growth.
In Ethiopia, Anderson said he attended the Black Lion Air Show marking the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force, underscoring what he described as the long-standing US–Ethiopia security partnership....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54989
The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said Washington is seeking to more closely align security cooperation with economic investment across #Africa, citing recent engagements in #Ethiopia, #Kenya, and #Djibouti as part of a broader strategy to address growing security threats while fostering stability and development.
Speaking during a digital press briefing yesterday, General Anderson said he recently concluded a joint visit to East Africa with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, where discussions focused on counterterrorism, regional security, and the link between stability and economic growth.
In Ethiopia, Anderson said he attended the Black Lion Air Show marking the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force, underscoring what he described as the long-standing US–Ethiopia security partnership....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54989
News: #Kenya, #Ethiopia hold inaugural Joint Defence Committee meeting to boost security cooperation
Kenya and Ethiopia have held the inaugural session of their Joint Defence Committee (#JDC I) in Nairobi, a move aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing regional security coordination, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Defence.
The three-day meeting, hosted at Kenya’s Defence Headquarters and presided over by Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training, Major General Frederick Leuria, focused on deepening military engagement between the two countries and addressing shared security challenges in the #Horn of Africa.
Speaking at the closing session, Major General Leuria highlighted the long-standing partnership between Kenya and Ethiopia, describing it as grounded in mutual respect, shared interests, and a common vision for regional stability.
Leading the Ethiopian delegation, Major General...
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55011
Kenya and Ethiopia have held the inaugural session of their Joint Defence Committee (#JDC I) in Nairobi, a move aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing regional security coordination, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Defence.
The three-day meeting, hosted at Kenya’s Defence Headquarters and presided over by Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training, Major General Frederick Leuria, focused on deepening military engagement between the two countries and addressing shared security challenges in the #Horn of Africa.
Speaking at the closing session, Major General Leuria highlighted the long-standing partnership between Kenya and Ethiopia, describing it as grounded in mutual respect, shared interests, and a common vision for regional stability.
Leading the Ethiopian delegation, Major General...
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55011
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#Policy_Brief: Coercion Over Consent: #Ethiopia’s dangerous mandatory Digital ID experiment
In this policy brief, Mohamed A. argues that Ethiopia's mandatory Digital ID (#Fayda) is a "flawed and dangerous policy," not because identification itself is problematic, but because enforcement lacks legal safeguards. He emphasizes that centralizing sensitive data risks turning governance into a tool of "surveillance, control, and exclusion."
According to him, Ethiopia is "importing the concept as if it were a proven model." In Ethiopia's fragile institutional context, this amounts to "recklessness disguised as modernization," especially with foreign funding raising unresolved questions about "who controls the data."
The author urges authorities to "pause enforcement" until trust and oversight are established, arguing that without them, mandatory ID is "not progress—it is a poorly designed and dangerous policy."
https://addisstandard.com/?p=54995
In this policy brief, Mohamed A. argues that Ethiopia's mandatory Digital ID (#Fayda) is a "flawed and dangerous policy," not because identification itself is problematic, but because enforcement lacks legal safeguards. He emphasizes that centralizing sensitive data risks turning governance into a tool of "surveillance, control, and exclusion."
According to him, Ethiopia is "importing the concept as if it were a proven model." In Ethiopia's fragile institutional context, this amounts to "recklessness disguised as modernization," especially with foreign funding raising unresolved questions about "who controls the data."
The author urges authorities to "pause enforcement" until trust and oversight are established, arguing that without them, mandatory ID is "not progress—it is a poorly designed and dangerous policy."
https://addisstandard.com/?p=54995
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#In_Memoriam: A Tribute to Professor Asmarom Legesse
Asmerom Legesse (PhD), a pioneering scholar of the #Oromo Gadaa system, passed away at the age of 94. Born on 5 February 1931 in #Eritrea, he was widely respected for his rigorous and sustained studies of Oromo governance, now foundational to #African indigenous political thought. In this tribute, Ezekiel Gebissa writes that “for the Oromo people… death is not an ending but a passage from the world of binary reality to the realm of singularity.”
Over nearly six decades, Asmerom reshaped African political studies by showing that #Gadaa is “not a relic of the past but a sophisticated, stable, and coherent democratic system.”
Asmerom’s legacy remains the cornerstone of Oromo studies and global indigenous governance.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55020
Asmerom Legesse (PhD), a pioneering scholar of the #Oromo Gadaa system, passed away at the age of 94. Born on 5 February 1931 in #Eritrea, he was widely respected for his rigorous and sustained studies of Oromo governance, now foundational to #African indigenous political thought. In this tribute, Ezekiel Gebissa writes that “for the Oromo people… death is not an ending but a passage from the world of binary reality to the realm of singularity.”
Over nearly six decades, Asmerom reshaped African political studies by showing that #Gadaa is “not a relic of the past but a sophisticated, stable, and coherent democratic system.”
Asmerom’s legacy remains the cornerstone of Oromo studies and global indigenous governance.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55020
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News: #Tigray institutions renew calls for dialogue, reconciliation amid continued internal clashes
Religious and civic institutions in Tigray have renewed calls for dialogue and an end to internal fighting, urging combatants to halt hostilities and pursue reconciliation as clashes continue in parts of the region, despite recent signs of de-escalation in the #south.
The Synod of the #Selama Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church, following an emergency meeting, said that “the mutual destruction occurring between brothers must stop,” and announced plans to actively engage in efforts to end the killings.
In a statement shared with journalists, the Synod said that as people in Tigray face one of the gravest crises in recent history, it is seeking to foster understanding and reconciliation to bring an end to internal violence.
Similarly, Tigray #Public_Diplomacy issued an emergency statement noscriptd “Stop the War: Let Us Return to Dialogue,” recalling an earlier...
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55017
Religious and civic institutions in Tigray have renewed calls for dialogue and an end to internal fighting, urging combatants to halt hostilities and pursue reconciliation as clashes continue in parts of the region, despite recent signs of de-escalation in the #south.
The Synod of the #Selama Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church, following an emergency meeting, said that “the mutual destruction occurring between brothers must stop,” and announced plans to actively engage in efforts to end the killings.
In a statement shared with journalists, the Synod said that as people in Tigray face one of the gravest crises in recent history, it is seeking to foster understanding and reconciliation to bring an end to internal violence.
Similarly, Tigray #Public_Diplomacy issued an emergency statement noscriptd “Stop the War: Let Us Return to Dialogue,” recalling an earlier...
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55017
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News: #Absa Bank links #Ethiopia market entry to further easing of banking rules
Absa Group, a #Johannesburg-based multinational banking and financial services conglomerate, has said it would consider entering Ethiopia’s financial services market if the government further loosens ownership restrictions and deepens liberalisation of the banking sector, The EastAfrican reported.
The #South_African lender said recent reforms in Ethiopia’s banking sector are encouraging but remain insufficient to support a long-term commercial commitment in what it described as a tightly regulated market.
“We are closely following developments in Ethiopia and we think the first few necessary steps have been taken, but we would like to see more opening of the regulatory environment insofar as it relates to banking in that market,” Absa Group Chief Executive Officer Kenny Fihla told The EastAfrican during a visit to Nairobi this week.
“When we are of the view that we have the....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55031
Absa Group, a #Johannesburg-based multinational banking and financial services conglomerate, has said it would consider entering Ethiopia’s financial services market if the government further loosens ownership restrictions and deepens liberalisation of the banking sector, The EastAfrican reported.
The #South_African lender said recent reforms in Ethiopia’s banking sector are encouraging but remain insufficient to support a long-term commercial commitment in what it described as a tightly regulated market.
“We are closely following developments in Ethiopia and we think the first few necessary steps have been taken, but we would like to see more opening of the regulatory environment insofar as it relates to banking in that market,” Absa Group Chief Executive Officer Kenny Fihla told The EastAfrican during a visit to Nairobi this week.
“When we are of the view that we have the....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55031
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News: “#Ethiopia inches ever closer to war” – The Economist
Ethiopia is edging closer to another devastating conflict as renewed tensions in the #Tigray region raise fears of a wider regional conflagration, The Economist magazine reported in its this week edition.
A TPLF official cited by the magazine said the Ethiopian National Defense Force was “mobilising in full force,” warning that another war could be catastrophic if political restraint fails.
Tensions spiked again when TPLF-linked forces crossed the #Tekeze River into #Tselemti last week. While officials said the move was intended to protest the treatment of returning civilians, some analysts cited by The Economist believe it may also have been aimed at testing federal defenses...
The African Union publicly offered to mediate on 30 January, but Ethiopia privately rejected the proposal, telling the #AU to refrain from intervening in its internal affairs, according to sources cited by The Economist.
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55035
Ethiopia is edging closer to another devastating conflict as renewed tensions in the #Tigray region raise fears of a wider regional conflagration, The Economist magazine reported in its this week edition.
A TPLF official cited by the magazine said the Ethiopian National Defense Force was “mobilising in full force,” warning that another war could be catastrophic if political restraint fails.
Tensions spiked again when TPLF-linked forces crossed the #Tekeze River into #Tselemti last week. While officials said the move was intended to protest the treatment of returning civilians, some analysts cited by The Economist believe it may also have been aimed at testing federal defenses...
The African Union publicly offered to mediate on 30 January, but Ethiopia privately rejected the proposal, telling the #AU to refrain from intervening in its internal affairs, according to sources cited by The Economist.
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55035
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Famine threat spreads in #Sudan’s Darfur as hospital attack kills 22 amid ongoing war
Famine is threatening additional areas in war-ravaged Sudan’s western #Darfur region, a global hunger monitoring body warned on Thursday, even as an attack by paramilitary forces on a military hospital in the country’s south killed at least 22 people, including the hospital’s director and three medical staff.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, following a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (#RSF). The war has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (#IPC) said acute malnutrition has reached famine-level thresholds in two more towns in Darfur — Umm Baru and Kernoi in North Darfur province — though it stopped short of formally declaring famine due to lack of sufficient data on mortality and.....
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1305714
Famine is threatening additional areas in war-ravaged Sudan’s western #Darfur region, a global hunger monitoring body warned on Thursday, even as an attack by paramilitary forces on a military hospital in the country’s south killed at least 22 people, including the hospital’s director and three medical staff.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, following a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (#RSF). The war has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (#IPC) said acute malnutrition has reached famine-level thresholds in two more towns in Darfur — Umm Baru and Kernoi in North Darfur province — though it stopped short of formally declaring famine due to lack of sufficient data on mortality and.....
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1305714
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News: Horn of Africa risks becoming arena for Gulf rivalry as #Ethiopia drawn into power struggle
Intensifying competition among rival Gulf monarchies is increasingly shaping political and security dynamics in the Horn of #Africa, with Ethiopia emerging as a key focal point, according to an analysis published by AFP.
The Horn of Africa — comprising Ethiopia, #Somalia, #Djibouti, and #Eritrea — occupies a highly strategic position along one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean. Its proximity to the #Middle_East has made the region a growing arena for geopolitical and geo-economic rivalry among Gulf states.
“For Gulf states, the Horn of Africa is a crucial battleground for geopolitical and geo-economic competition,” regional analyst Anna Jacobs told AFP.
In Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates (#UAE) has established a particularly visible presence. A massive palace complex under construction on a ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55038
Intensifying competition among rival Gulf monarchies is increasingly shaping political and security dynamics in the Horn of #Africa, with Ethiopia emerging as a key focal point, according to an analysis published by AFP.
The Horn of Africa — comprising Ethiopia, #Somalia, #Djibouti, and #Eritrea — occupies a highly strategic position along one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean. Its proximity to the #Middle_East has made the region a growing arena for geopolitical and geo-economic rivalry among Gulf states.
“For Gulf states, the Horn of Africa is a crucial battleground for geopolitical and geo-economic competition,” regional analyst Anna Jacobs told AFP.
In Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates (#UAE) has established a particularly visible presence. A massive palace complex under construction on a ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55038
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Feature: Rising #telecom costs strain household budgets, reshape communication in #Addis_Abeba
In late December, both telecom operators #Safaricom Ethiopia and #Ethio_Telecom announced price increases across their services.
Safaricom #Ethiopia announced an average 44% increase in mobile data tariffs, its most significant pricing adjustment since entering the Ethiopian market nearly two years ago. In the same month, Ethio Telecom announced tariff increases on selected service packages, citing rising capital and operational costs amid broader macroeconomic pressures.
Several residents told Addis Standard that they first noticed the price increases in January, often after data packages depleted more quickly than expected or daily internet costs rose. While some learned of the changes through news reports and social media, others became aware only when they found their usual airtime and data bundles no longer affordable.
Tirunesh Haile, a public school ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55042
In late December, both telecom operators #Safaricom Ethiopia and #Ethio_Telecom announced price increases across their services.
Safaricom #Ethiopia announced an average 44% increase in mobile data tariffs, its most significant pricing adjustment since entering the Ethiopian market nearly two years ago. In the same month, Ethio Telecom announced tariff increases on selected service packages, citing rising capital and operational costs amid broader macroeconomic pressures.
Several residents told Addis Standard that they first noticed the price increases in January, often after data packages depleted more quickly than expected or daily internet costs rose. While some learned of the changes through news reports and social media, others became aware only when they found their usual airtime and data bundles no longer affordable.
Tirunesh Haile, a public school ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55042
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#Somalia and #Egypt reaffirm strategic partnership in high-level Cairo consultations
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Abdisalam Ali, convened with his Egyptian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, for high-level consultations in #Cairo on Thursday.
The meeting focused on consolidating the deep-rooted diplomatic ties between the two nations and aligning their positions on critical regional developments.
The discussions centered on advancing bilateral cooperation, with both ministers exploring avenues to enhance coordination on shared political and security interests.
The dialogue reflects the enduring relationship between Mogadishu and Cairo, characterized by mutual support and a shared vision for stability in the wider region.
During the session, Minister Badr Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s ....
https://sonna.so/en/somalia-and-egypt-reaffirm-strategic-partnership-in-high-level-cairo-consultations/
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Abdisalam Ali, convened with his Egyptian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, for high-level consultations in #Cairo on Thursday.
The meeting focused on consolidating the deep-rooted diplomatic ties between the two nations and aligning their positions on critical regional developments.
The discussions centered on advancing bilateral cooperation, with both ministers exploring avenues to enhance coordination on shared political and security interests.
The dialogue reflects the enduring relationship between Mogadishu and Cairo, characterized by mutual support and a shared vision for stability in the wider region.
During the session, Minister Badr Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s ....
https://sonna.so/en/somalia-and-egypt-reaffirm-strategic-partnership-in-high-level-cairo-consultations/
News: Former minister #Gedu says #Eritrean, #Ethiopian forces operated “as a single force” until Pretoria ceasefire, disputes PM Abiy’s account of Asmara’s role in Tigray war
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedu Andargachew has disputed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent parliamentary account of Ethiopia’s wartime engagement with Eritrea, saying Eritrean forces fought alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (#ENDF) “effectively as a single force” until the Pretoria ceasefire halted joint operations.
He said he proposed raising the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray during the visit but was instructed not to do so. According to Gedu, no message concerning the suffering of civilians in Tigray was delivered in Asmara.
In a letter dated 5 February 2026 and sent to Addis Standard, Gedu rejected Abiy’s claim that he served as the Prime Minister’s envoy to Eritrea after the outbreak of the war in Tigray to convey concerns over crimes ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55048
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedu Andargachew has disputed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent parliamentary account of Ethiopia’s wartime engagement with Eritrea, saying Eritrean forces fought alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (#ENDF) “effectively as a single force” until the Pretoria ceasefire halted joint operations.
He said he proposed raising the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray during the visit but was instructed not to do so. According to Gedu, no message concerning the suffering of civilians in Tigray was delivered in Asmara.
In a letter dated 5 February 2026 and sent to Addis Standard, Gedu rejected Abiy’s claim that he served as the Prime Minister’s envoy to Eritrea after the outbreak of the war in Tigray to convey concerns over crimes ....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55048
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#Op_ed: Rethinking #Ethiopia’s Infrastructure Priorities: When urban makeovers masquerade as development
The recent urban renewal in #Addis_Abeba and other urban centers is being sold as national progress, but the author of this opinion piece argues the government is merely “conflating urban beautification with productive infrastructure.”
He explains that genuine infrastructure, such as power grids and logistics networks, drives long-term growth, while aesthetic projects are “complementary,” and in a resource-constrained economy, the “opportunity cost matters.” Public debate is suppressed, leaving citizens fearful, so “development risks becoming a bullying tactic rather than a public good.”
The author emphasizes that “development is not the performance of sophistication,” contending instead that true progress requires the “distribution of opportunity—and the consent of the people it affects.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55027
The recent urban renewal in #Addis_Abeba and other urban centers is being sold as national progress, but the author of this opinion piece argues the government is merely “conflating urban beautification with productive infrastructure.”
He explains that genuine infrastructure, such as power grids and logistics networks, drives long-term growth, while aesthetic projects are “complementary,” and in a resource-constrained economy, the “opportunity cost matters.” Public debate is suppressed, leaving citizens fearful, so “development risks becoming a bullying tactic rather than a public good.”
The author emphasizes that “development is not the performance of sophistication,” contending instead that true progress requires the “distribution of opportunity—and the consent of the people it affects.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55027
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News: Police say over 100 #Eritrean nationals ‘intercepted’, four trafficking suspects detained in #South_Omo
Police in the #Turmi City Administration of South Omo Zone in South #Ethiopia Regional State, said security forces intercepted 118 Eritrean nationals and detained four suspected human traffickers during a “coordinated operation” conducted on 1 February 2026.
Deputy Inspector Mekite Mesfin, Commander of the Turmi City Police Office, said that the group was apprehended at around 8:00 a.m. following a tip-off. According to him, the individuals had departed from the “center of the country” but were “intercepted through a joint intelligence-sharing effort involving the South Omo Zonal Police Department, #Hamar Woreda Police, and the Turmi City Administration.”
The individuals were being transported in two commercial vehicles, an Isuzu truck with plate number Code 3-A-63484 and an FSR vehicle with plate number Code 3-DE-00603 SE, police said........
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55057
Police in the #Turmi City Administration of South Omo Zone in South #Ethiopia Regional State, said security forces intercepted 118 Eritrean nationals and detained four suspected human traffickers during a “coordinated operation” conducted on 1 February 2026.
Deputy Inspector Mekite Mesfin, Commander of the Turmi City Police Office, said that the group was apprehended at around 8:00 a.m. following a tip-off. According to him, the individuals had departed from the “center of the country” but were “intercepted through a joint intelligence-sharing effort involving the South Omo Zonal Police Department, #Hamar Woreda Police, and the Turmi City Administration.”
The individuals were being transported in two commercial vehicles, an Isuzu truck with plate number Code 3-A-63484 and an FSR vehicle with plate number Code 3-DE-00603 SE, police said........
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55057
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#News_Alert: MP Dessalegn Chanie withdraws from Ethiopia’s 7th General Election
Dr. Dessalegn Chanie, MP for #Bahir_Dar City, the capital of #Amhara region, has announced that he will not run in Ethiopia’s 7th general election, citing the absence of conditions for a “free, peaceful, and fair vote.” In a statement to his constituents and the public, he said several political parties had offered him the opportunity to run in Bahir Dar or Addis Abeba, and he had also considered an independent bid. “However, I wish to officially announce my decision not to present myself as a candidate for the upcoming 7th round of elections,” he said.
Dr. Dessalegn added that remaining in parliament for another five years would not bring meaningful benefit to the people he represents. “I have come to understand that the conducive environment necessary to conduct a free, peaceful, and fair election does not exist,” he said.
read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55067
Dr. Dessalegn Chanie, MP for #Bahir_Dar City, the capital of #Amhara region, has announced that he will not run in Ethiopia’s 7th general election, citing the absence of conditions for a “free, peaceful, and fair vote.” In a statement to his constituents and the public, he said several political parties had offered him the opportunity to run in Bahir Dar or Addis Abeba, and he had also considered an independent bid. “However, I wish to officially announce my decision not to present myself as a candidate for the upcoming 7th round of elections,” he said.
Dr. Dessalegn added that remaining in parliament for another five years would not bring meaningful benefit to the people he represents. “I have come to understand that the conducive environment necessary to conduct a free, peaceful, and fair election does not exist,” he said.
read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55067
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News: #Gamo Zone Education Department orders changes to ‘divisive’ content in history textbooks, decries ‘false history’
The Gamo Zone #Education Department has issued a formal directive ordering all secondary schools in the zone to correct what it describes as “deliberately fabricated false stories” about the Gamo people contained in the recently published Grade 9 and Grade 11 national History textbooks.
In a letter, dated 29 January 2026, addressed to education offices in 14 woredas and seven city administrations, the department said that the 2023 edition of the textbooks, prepared by the #Federal Ministry of Education, includes content that “threatens the unity of the Gamo people” and reflects the “private political interests” of the authors and editors.
The directive instructs teachers to implement “immediate classroom-level corrections” until permanent amendments are made to the textbooks.
The department identified three sections of the textbooks....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55064
The Gamo Zone #Education Department has issued a formal directive ordering all secondary schools in the zone to correct what it describes as “deliberately fabricated false stories” about the Gamo people contained in the recently published Grade 9 and Grade 11 national History textbooks.
In a letter, dated 29 January 2026, addressed to education offices in 14 woredas and seven city administrations, the department said that the 2023 edition of the textbooks, prepared by the #Federal Ministry of Education, includes content that “threatens the unity of the Gamo people” and reflects the “private political interests” of the authors and editors.
The directive instructs teachers to implement “immediate classroom-level corrections” until permanent amendments are made to the textbooks.
The department identified three sections of the textbooks....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55064
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