ADDIS ABABA – THE Ethiopian parliament ratified the extension of the state of emergency in the troubled northern Amhara region on Friday. The official Facebook page of the Ethiopian parliament reported that a resolution to extend the state of emergency in the Amhara region was approved by a majority vote. The report did not disclose the duration of the extended state of emergency. However, Ethiopian state media outlets reported that it has been extended for an additional four months. In August 2023, the Ethiopian parliament ratified a six-month state of emergency rule in the Amhara region amid prolonged conflict between the military and local militiamen.

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Through the agreement, Ethiopia would replace Djibouti as Somaliland’s principal trading outlet, an arrangement that was worth $1.5 billion a year to Djibouti in port fees, and loss of this income will deal a body-blow to the country. Ethiopia has also announced it is developing a navy that would be based on the Red Sea coast. Modern Ethiopia had direct access to the Red Sea from 1952 to 1991, a period marked by sustained conflict with Eritrea, which was seeking independence. Beginning in 2020, authorities in Ethiopia and Eritrea temporarily worked together to fight rebels in Ethiopia’s Tigray province. Taking all of this together, therefore, Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland threatens to ignite the embers of wider regional conflict.

FAO award to Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed continued to get opposition from Ethiopians living abroad. Initially, Abiy Ahmed sold himself to Ethiopians as a reformer and progressive with the mission to reunite the country and usher it to prosperity. Many say no Ethiopian leader in history got the support of Ethiopians like Abiy Ahmed. All that political capital is lost ,irreparably, after Abiy Ahmed proved to be to incompetent or unwilling to deliver the changes he promised. It is in this situation , and as Abiy Ahmed’s legitimacy crisis is soaring, that FAO last week awarded Abiy Ahmed with what it called “prestigious FAO Agricola Medal.

Both news are sweet music for Chinese EV makers. They both exempt electric cars from hefty taxes. New Chinese electric cars are already 40-50% cheaper than other EVs, and thanks to tax exemption and very cheap electricity, they are on par with gasoline and diesel cars. It's basically a range test, and this winter's edition is pompously presented as "the world's largest electric car test. So, it's not just some folks subjectively driving a few electric cars.

Human Rights Organizations in the country and Abroad have confirmed that Abiy Ahmed’s soldiers committed extensive extrajudicial killings in the Amhara region in an effort to silence dissent. The gravity of the situation cannot be understated, as the Prime Minister seems to have chosen a path of violence over dialogue. The international community must take note of these alarming developments and act accordingly to prevent a humanitarian crisis. It is crucial to remind Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that a political or military victory cannot be achieved by causing immense harm to the Amhara civilians. The international community must step in to support the Amhara community and condemn the delusional genocidal war of terror waged against them.

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi signing the MoU on January 1, 2024 (Photo : file/PD)BorkenaToronto – The Memorandum of Understanding that Ethiopia signed with Somaliland on January 1, 2024 in Addis Ababa was planned to be finalized within a month’s time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has not released a statement regarding the status of the agreement. Recently, Somaliland Foreign Affairs has recently released a statement condemning foreign interference in reaction to Egyptian rhetoric against the MoU agreement with Ethiopia. In addition to mobilizing Egypt, Eritrea and the Arab League, Somalia, on January 23, asked for an urgent security council meeting to discuss its dispute with Ethiopia. Somalia has stated that there is “no space for negation” with Ethiopia before the MoU is retracted.

Chinese tech giant Tencent said it last year dismissed more than 120 employees for violating its anti-fraud rules, including for corruption and embezzlement. Last year, more than 70 breaches of the code of conduct were reported, Tencent said. Others worked in the group's medical services arm, a sector where Tencent's telemedicine applications have huge market share in China. One of the employees implicated by Tencent was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 100,000 yuan ($14,000), according to the press release. Tencent is now looking for more opportunities abroad, particularly in Europe, where it is strengthening its position by acquiring stakes in major gaming studios.

We categorically oppose the actions taken by the Ethiopian regime against Somali sovereignty and territorial integrity. We strongly support the decisions made by the Somali government to counter the aggression of the Ethiopian regime violating Somali sovereignty. We demand assistance for Somalia to present its case against Ethiopia to the United Nations Security Council for openly violating sovereignty. Congratulations to the Somali people for resisting the Ethiopian regime’s ambitions to annex Somali waters in the Red Sea. We welcome constructive dialogues between the federal government and member states to stand united against nations endangering Somali sovereignty.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Africa Director Murithi Mutiga to discuss Horn of Africa politics, including Ethiopia's push for sea access, Sudan’s war, Kenya’s regional role and Gulf rivalries playing out in the region. They discuss the reaction in Somalia, which rejects Somaliland independence, and whether anti-Ethiopian sentiment could strengthen Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab. They also talk about growing hostility between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They discuss increasing foreign involvement in Sudan’s war and the former paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ advances. They touch on the regional role that Kenyan President William Ruto appears to aspire to and the evolving influence of Western powers, especially the U.S., in the Horn.

Addis Ababa — Exploiting the untapped potentials of the Horn Africa (HoA) for shared benefits and ensuring peace are critical for better prospects in the region, said Minister of Peace Binalf Andualem. The conference discussed pressing issues facing the region, including the current peace and security challenges and opportunities in the region. Institutions of higher education across the horn region should discharge their responsibilities in forging durable peace and development activities, the minister said. The minister noted that Ethiopia is exerting maximum effort for regional integration and ensure peace. Though the horn region is endowed with potential resources for development, Benalaf mentioned man-made and natural problems have hindered the region from utilizing the resources.

In a letter sent to Attorney General of Guam Douglas Moylan, the delegate said that the House of Representatives passed H.R. Alien, as used in the measure means any person not a citizen or national of the United States. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security on whether the measure would apply to Compact of Free Association migrants in Guam. “It’s like, why are you talking about DUIs when the crimes are so much bigger than DUIs? We expect these issues will be carefully vetted if this measure is to pass in the Senate.”

Addis Ababa February 3/2024 (ENA) Exploiting the untapped potentials of the Horn Africa (HoA) for shared benefits and ensuring peace are critical for better prospects in the region, said Minister of Peace Binalf Andualem. The conference discussed pressing issues facing the region, including the current peace and security challenges and opportunities in the region. Institutions of higher education across the horn region should discharge their responsibilities in forging durable peace and development activities, the minister said. The minister noted that Ethiopia is exerting maximum effort for regional integration and ensure peace. Though the horn region is endowed with potential resources for development, Benalaf mentioned man-made and natural problems have hindered the region from utilizing the resources.

Ethiopia Coffee's revival in the Ethiopia Premier League continued on Friday, while Hadiya Hossana and Dire Dawa had to settle for a share of the spoils in a goalless draw. Ethiopia Coffee proved too hot to handle for Ethiopian Insurance, winning 3-0. Anteneh Tefera was the star of the show with a hat-trick to spark massive Coffee celebrations.

Former world marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia has confirmed his participation in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 24. Chicago Marathon winner Seifu Tura and former women’s half marathon world record holder, Ababel Yeshaneh, will also be joining their compatriot in RAK. Tola won world marathon gold in Eugene in 2022, but in the interim, he won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2021 and then topped that with victory in the New York City Marathon three months ago. The 33-year-old’s fastest half marathon was a winning performance in 59:37 in Prague in 2017. The three Ethiopians will join elite fields that already include men’s defending champion Benard Kibet of Kenya (58:45) and his colleague, reigning Olympic Marathon Champion and three-time World Half Marathon Champion Peres Jepchirchir, who set her best half marathon in winning RAK 2017 in a then world record of 65:06.