The Eritrean government acknowledged for the first time Friday that its troops are active in the Tigray conflict zone in northern Ethiopia, in a letter from Sophia Tesfamariam, the Eritrean ambassador to the United Nations. Tesfamariam wrote the letter in response to last week’s U.N. Security Council meeting, in order…
Pope Francis delivered his Easter message on Sunday with a reminder of the hope amid troubled times that is the heart of the resurrection message celebrated by Christians around the world. “The Easter message does not offer us a mirage or reveal a magic formula. It does not point to…
The government of Norway has condemned the destruction of humanitarian aid facilities in Ethiopia, where the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) aid group is trying to assist those affected by conflict in the Tigray region. “All parties must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law,” the foreign ministry said in response…
Ethiopia’s government said Thursday that its investigation into the November events that touched off conflict in its Tigray region has led to the identification of 349 suspects who face charges, including treason and terrorism, for their role in an attack against the army’s Northern Command. Among them are 253 retired…
Ismail Omar Guelleh, president of the small but strategically vital country of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, announced in late December he would be running for a fifth term in presidential elections this April. Taking advantage of the media attention surrounding the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit, which…
East Africans are now using an early warning tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to help farmers fight off locusts that have devastated crops and communities across the past year. The new tool from Selina Wamucii, a platform that connects farmers and markets across Africa, is called Kuzi, the Swahili…
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…
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…