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…
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…
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…
Ethiopia’s response to provocative comments about conflict over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, delivered by United States President Donald Trump on Friday, expressed a firm resolve in completing the project despite years of objections from Egypt and Sudan. “Ethiopia will not cave in to aggressions of any kind,” the office…
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…
Another locust outbreak is threatening southern Africa, this time with the potential to affect some 7 million people in four more countries. Botswana has seen smallholder farmers lose entire crops, with the growing region of Pandamatenga and its key sorghum crops at risk as the country seeks to step up…
Africans celebrated the end of wild poliovirus on the continent on Tuesday, making good on an international promise that dates to 1996 and the Nelson Mandela era. “This is a momentous milestone for Africa. Now future generations of African children can live free of wild polio,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti,…
African leaders joined their counterparts from across the globe on Wednesday as they extended condolences and assistance to the people of Lebanon following Tuesday’s massive explosion in Beirut. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, current holder of the African Union presidency, expressed concern for the many Lebanese families who lost…
There has been little progress in the stalemate over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), according to the Ethiopian government as it continues lengthy and oft-contentious negotiations with Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that the three nations have been unable to resolve their differences over access to…
Human rights activists are pressing Ethiopian authorities to properly investigate the shooting of a popular Oromo singer whose death has sparked protests in parts of the country. Hachalu Hundesa, who spoke out publicly last week on the tense political situation in Ethiopia, was shot around 9:30 p.m. Monday in Addis…
Opposition leaders in Ethiopia warn of the potential for additional unrest following parliament’s decision to allow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to remain in office beyond the end of his term. A joint statement from the Oromo LIberation Front (OLF) and Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) followed Wednesday’s decision to keep Abiy…
The plane that crashed in Somalia last week while delivering humanitarian supplies to support the coronavirus pandemic response was accidentally shot down by Ethiopian forces, according to statements from AMISOM and the Ethiopian military. The African Express 711 aircraft was flying from Baidoa to a camp at Bardale, according to…
Ethiopian officials announced new measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak on Monday, as the country’s ministry of health confirmed a new case and a number of African governments enacted more strict controls amid a rising case count. All large gatherings or events are forbidden for the next two weeks, and…
There are now at least 229 positive cases of the novel coronavirus on the African continent, according to health officials, with the first confirmed cases in Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Rwanda and Seychelles among them. The Department of Health on Seychelles said two of its citizens returned to the Indian Ocean…
There are now at least 159 positive cases of the novel coronavirus on the African continent, according to health officials, with the first confirmed cases in Ethiopia and Kenya among them. The Ethiopian case involves a 48-year-old Japanese citizen who traveled from Burkina Faso on March 4 but is isolated…