Leaders meet for ‘milestone’ talks on implementing Tigray ceasefire

Leaders meet for ‘milestone’ talks on implementing Tigray ceasefire

Ethiopian leaders representing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government met with Tigrayan officials on Monday in Mekelle, for talks viewed as a milestone in ending more than two years of catastrophic conflict in which up to 600,000 people have died. The delegation led by Tagesse Chaffo Dullo, speaker of Ethiopia’s parliament,…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Russia declines help in Ukraine from Ethiopian volunteers

Russia declines help in Ukraine from Ethiopian volunteers

Ethiopians have reportedly volunteered to fight on Russia’s side in its war with Ukraine, but Russia said Tuesday that it will decline their overtures in keeping with international law. “The embassy has been receiving, by emails and in person visits from citizens of Ethiopia, expressions of their solidarity and support…

Guterres, Security Council focus on Tigray crisis

It’s been a week since any food or aid trucks were able to enter the Tigray region of Ethiopia, amid a mounting humanitarian crisis because of the unabated regional conflict. Nearly a half-million people are on the brink of famine, according to OCHA, the United Nations office for humanitarian assistance….

Ethiopia confirms Abiy election win

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Prosperity Party have won the Ethiopian election by a landslide, according to official results released Saturday by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). The ruling party is expected to hold more than 400 of the country’s 546 legislative seats, giving Abiy the power…

AU observers detail challenges as Ethiopia awaits election results

As Ethiopians continued to wait for official results in Monday’s elections, the African Union election observer mission issued a preliminary report concluding that despite some flaws, the voting process was orderly and peaceful. “There was nothing, in the Mission’s estimation, that distracted from the credible conduct of the elections,” said…

Ethiopia thanks AU envoys but remains firm on Tigray crisis

Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed agreed to meet with an African Union delegation on Friday, but the prime minister would not permit the AU team to meet with Tigray leaders to help bring an end to the fighting in the country’s north. Liberia’s former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, along with former leaders…

Ethiopia’s Abiy warns time is up for a Tigray ceasefire

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday that a three-day window extended to Tigray forces in the country’s northern border region has expired, setting the stage for the Ethiopian military to end the ongoing conflict by force in the coming days. Abiy’s warning comes amid regional and international calls for…

UN’s Bachelet warns Tigray attack may amount to war crimes

The United Nations human rights chief warned Friday that allegations about mass killings in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia, if confirmed, may amount to war crimes. Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for a full inquiry as the fighting between the Ethiopian military and Tigray’s…

Ethiopia’s Tigray say they’ll fight Abiy government

The Ethiopian government traded accusations with Tigray leaders on Thursday, fueling concerns of escalation in the northern region targeted with military action by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Debretsion Gebremichael, above, president of the region and longtime leader with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told local media based in Mekelle…

HRW: Irreecha festival may prove a flashpoint in uneasy Ethiopia

Human rights campaigners are appealing for calm and restraint in Ethiopia, as the Oromo people celebrate the Irreecha harvest festival this weekend amid ongoing political divisions. “This year’s festival, on October 3 and 4, occurs against the backdrop of escalating tensions and unrest in Oromia,” said Laetitia Bader, the Horn…